Destiny's Uncertain
by Ninjago Nuisance
Summary: The Ninja have taken up permanent residence with their sensei. This is in hopes of better preparing them to be the saviours Ninjago so desperately needs. How can the ninja navigate their hectic lives of juggling their own personal issues with what destiny has written? Can they be themselves and the destined heroes that fate has prophesied? [bruiseshipping, greenflame]
1. Prologue

**Prologue: A Brief Overview  
** Here's what to expect with Destiny's Uncertain. This is just some basic information to give you a better understanding of setting, characters and story. 

* * *

**Setting:** This is a movie and show hybrid. Characterization is primarily show!verse, and a large amount of what occurred in the series will be referenced, but consider the ninja to all be relatively the same age. Nya being the youngest by two years.

 **Ships:** This story will have a focus on bruiseshipping (Cole/Jay). There will be secondary Greenflame (Kai/Lloyd) and likely more than a few other tertiary ships. Ages are all 16 and over, and Lloyd is the same age as the other ninja, no _Tomorrow's Tea_ being used to age him up here!

 **Story:** The focus will be on the ninja and their experiences juggling their hero double lives with trying to be regular students and citizens. Their alter-egos are semi-known by the people of Ninjago. Sometimes they'll be recognized, other times they will not. It will vary. 

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Hope you enjoy!


	2. Chapter I

**Chapter I:** Getting Settled 

* * *

"Is that the last box?" Cole asked, leaning casually against the backboard of his new bed, his hand in a box of bite-sized cheesy crackers.

"Uh, I think so," Jay huffed as he dropped the last box onto a stack of three others. He stood upright, cracking his back before wiping his brow.

"I think you overpacked." Black said to blue with a smirk. Jay snorted in reply.

"You can never overpack when you're uprooting your entire life," The brunette insisted matter-of-factly, turning to face his new roommate. "You'll appreciate everything I brought with me once it's all unpacked."

"Uh huh," Cole hummed as he lifted the box and poured the remaining crumbs into his mouth.

"You guys almost done?" Kai asked, leaning into their doorway as he cast his amber eyes around the room, his gaze narrowing on the tower of boxes on Jay's side. "Why'd you pack so much?"

"Thank you." The black-haired ninja laughed, tossing the empty box into a bin at the far corner of the room.

"I didn't pack a lot," Jay whirled around and jabbed a finger in Kai's direction. "You guys only pack a pair of underwear and a toothbrush or something? These boxes contain my _life_."

"He packed two pairs," Nya said as she joined her brother in the doorway and in similar fashion looked around Earth and Lightning's new abode. "Can't say I'm jealous of you all sharing rooms." She beamed. "There's enough extra space in my room for a good setup."

Kai stood upright and puffed his chest. "Having a roommate builds character."

"Sure, whatever you say," Water waved off as she turned and walked down the hallway towards her own bedroom, "I need to finish unpacking."

"You done packing already?" Cole asked Kai as he opened a box of his own belongings and began to pull out bedding.

"Nah," The brunette shook his head and returned to leaning against the doorframe. "But Master Wu's in there right now talking to Lloyd, so I figured I'd see what everyone else is up to."

"You could help Jay," Black suggested as he unfurled a bedsheet and threw it over his naked mattress. "He's got a ton to unpack…" Jay's head shot up quick and his brows knit into an unamused glare.

"It's not that much!" Lightning insisted, but it sounded quite a bit more like a whine. Kai sauntered into the room and over to Jay's tower.

"What _did_ you pack?" Fire inquired, his head tilting slightly as he examined the carboard containers.

"Normal things!" Jay huffed. "Clothes, bedding, my consoles, games, my computer…normal things that normal people pack when they make a perfectly normal move!" Behind the trio, footsteps could be heard as more people approached the quickly filling room.

"Oh my, look at this room Ed," Edna, Jay's greying mother, clasped her hands together and smiled happily. "Our little Jay has such a nice space!" She turned to Cole, who stiffened under the gaze and offered an awkward lopsided smile. "And his _best friend_ 's his roommate." The older woman scampered across the room and caught Cole's face between her hands, tugging the tall young man down to her shorter level. "Cole, _sweetie_ , Jay is so happy you're his roommate!"

Kai, now standing off to the side and wanting to watch the scene unfold, snickered to himself. This made Jay flush and quickly throw his hands up as he rushed to his gushing mother. "Ma! Don't!" The brunette whined pathetically.

"Oh, come now Jay," Ed, Jay's father, entered the room as he patted his hands on his dirtied overalls. "Your mother's just happy to know you're rooming with Cole." The older man walked to Cole with a wide grin. "Jay's always talkin' about how excited he is to share the room with you!"

"Uh, yeah?" Cole stifled an amused laugh, looking between the older couple, and then to their beet red son. Jay held his face in his hands and groaned miserably in deep embarrassment.

"Oh yes," Ed laughed heartily. "He darn near talked our ears off about it. Y'know how he gets."

Jay rubbed his face into his palms and continued to groan. "Ma, Pa…" He breathed out as Kai held his sides and did his absolute best to not burst out into a fit or roaring laughter.

"Jay, dear," Edna turned and smiled lovingly to her son, "we just know you're happy, and that makes us happy."

Kai snickered. "Yeah, Jay," The Master of Fire grinned, "your parents love you and they're happy you're happy about _bunking_ with Cole." Jay's head shot up instantly and he narrowed his blue eyes on the red ninja.

"Oh, _ha-ha_ ," The freckled boy feigned a laugh, "very funny."

"I'm sure Cole's happy too," Edna turned her attention back to the black ninja and patted his cheek gently, "aren't you?"

Cole simply nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

"Such a good boy." Edna smiled warmly as she released the Master of Earth, allowing him to stand upright again.

"Come on, Edna," Ed put an arm around his wife and lead her towards the door. "They boys need to finish getting unpacked and we gotta get back before it's dark." Edna turned her head and stole one last quick glance at her son.

"Call me later tonight, honey!"

"Yes, ma," Jay sighed and looked over at Kai, then to Cole, and quickly turned away to get to work unpacking his boxes. Kai stepped forward and opened his mouth to speak, but was quickly cut short by Jay. "Don't…say… _a thing_."

Down the hall, Nya was in her room, crouched down and opening one of the boxes at her beside.

"Nya?" Came Maya's voice, the former Master of Water stepping into her daughter's new bedroom, smiling fondly.

Nya swiftly perked up. "Mom?" She was quick to jump to her feet and walk to her mother, throwing her arms around the older woman and squeezing her in a tight hug. "What's up?" The elder female shook her head.

"Nothing, I just wanted to come say goodbye before your father and I head out."

"Oh," Nya frowned a bit, her happy demeanour wavering, "you two have to leave already?"

Maya nodded, cupping her daughter's cheek with one hand and stroking the swell with her thumb. "Unfortunately. We need to be back before it's dark. But we will come visit again soon, and you can always come home and visit us." Nya nodded slowly.

"Okay, mom," She leaned into her mother's comforting touch.

"You're heading out?" Kai asked, stepping into Nya's bedroom and eyeing his mother.

"We are," Maya stepped away from Nya and smiled to her eldest. "we're going to miss you two so much. Has been wonderful being together again." Kai nodded curtly.

"Yeah," He said evenly, crossing his arms over his chest. Nya frowned at her brother and placed a hand on her mother's back.

"C'mon, mom, I'll see you out."

"Thank you." Maya said sweetly, quickly turning sad eyes to her son. "I will…tell your father you said goodbye." Without looking up to meet his mother's eyes, Kai nodded his head, keeping his gaze trained on the floorboards of Nya's new bedroom.

"Kai's…tired...," The Master of Fire heard his sister say as she walked past him with their mother, waiting until their voices were muffled by distance and he could no longer make out the excuses of his sibling.

"Screw it," The brunette jammed his hands into his jean pockets and walked out of his sister's room, heading down the hall towards his own, stomping in and past Lloyd. He flopped down onto his bed and stared up at the ceiling. The green ninja turned to look at his friend, arching an eyebrow.

"What's up?" He asked.

"Don't worry about it," Kai huffed, rolling onto his side and facing his back to the blonde. Lloyd shrugged his shoulders and returned to placing various knickknacks onto his shelf. Silence overcame them, which made Kai twitched irritably, glancing over his shoulder to watch his quiet friend sorting his belongings neatly on their new perch. Turning back to the wall, amber eyes narrowed and burrowed a hole into a particular spot, while his fingers flexed.

"You seem like you're in a good mood," Lloyd said suddenly, not bothering to turn his attention towards the pouting male, and instead looked over one of his figurines before shelving it.

"I'm peachy." Kai quipped.

"Golden." Lloyd hummed. Kai couldn't help but snort.

"Was that some sort of attempt at a joke?"

Lloyd smiled to himself. "Maybe."

"It sucked." Kai said flatly and Lloyd shrugged again.

"Ah, well," The green ninja folded up the now empty carboard box, "I'll try harder next time." He walked across the room and tossed the flattened material onto a stack of similarly empty and folded boxes.

"You do that." Kai muttered. Lloyd walked over to Kai's bed, reaching out to poke the taller boy's shoulder blade. Reflexively, the Master of Fire curved his spine and inched away from the intrusive jab, muttering something incoherent under his breath. The blonde grinned toothily and followed after his friend, prodding him mercilessly with his index finger. The more Kai tried to evade Lloyd's jabs, the closer he found himself getting to the wall, until he was pressed flush against it and unable to move.

"I think I've won," Lloyd placed his hands on his hips and laughed boisterously, "I have bested the Master of Fire!"

"You learn that laugh from your dad?" Kai whirled around and smirked up at his friend.

"I've been practicing." Green coolly shrugged. Kai sat upright and looked across the room at Lloyd's neatly sorted shelf.

"Hmm…guess I should start putting things away too."

"If you want," Lloyd walked across the room and flopped onto his own bed, which he'd already dressed, adorning it with green sheets and pillow cases. "No rush, I guess."

Kai smirked, amused. "Green sheets?"

Lloyd stared back. "It's my colour, and it's an awesome colour," The blonde insisted. "Besides, there's no way anyone's going to confuse my sheets for theirs."

"True," Kai yielded, dropping his head back into his caseless pillows, and sighed, "it'll be kind of cool living together more permanently, y'know?"

Lloyd pulled his phone out of his sweater pocket, swiped his thumb across the screen and unlocked it. "Yeah," He cast his emerald eyes sideways in Kai's direction, "and I think you'll be a pretty cool roommate."

"Oh I'm going to be a nightmare, I assure you." Kai said, waving his hand around theatrically.

"Sure," Lloyd smiled as he turned his attention back to his phone screen. "Your parents already left?" Kai nodded his head.

"They're leaving now."

Lloyd cast his eyes towards the brunette again. "Not going to see them off?" Kai shrugged his shoulders lazily and trained his eyes up on the ceiling. Lloyd could sense the tension and quickly dropped the subject. He knew the parent topic was somewhat of a touchy subject for the red clad teen…and something the two of them bonded over more than once.

"Your parents sticking around?" Kai asked. Lloyd hummed in reply.

"Mom's leaving…something about another archeological dig somewhere past Jamanakai Village."

"And your dad?"

"Maybe he'll stay, depends on him, I guess." Lloyd said as he swiped his thumb across his phone screen.

"Least we've got Wu," Kai said, folding his arms behind his head.

"Yeah." The green ninja replied coolly, his focus clearly elsewhere.

"Kai, Lloyd," Both boys turned their eyes to their open doorway, Zane standing there with a smile on his face and a piece of paper in hand.

"What's up?" Kai asked, propping himself up on his elbows. The nindroid walked into the room and up between the beds, where he stood for a moment and glanced down at the paper in his hand.

"This is a chore list," he answered, "I'm here to assign chores. I've already been to Nya, Cole and Jay…I need only to give you two the remaining duties."

"Why're we last?" The Master of Fire inquired incredulously, sitting up as he half glared to his robotic friend.

"Because Nya caught me in the hall and asked me to go to Cole and Jay before coming to you two." The metallic teen replied, blue eyes blinking at the duo.

"Of course she did…" Kai grumbled. Zane eyed him curiously and the brunette sighed exasperatedly. "Let me see the list, Zane."

"Here you are," The Master of Ice smiled and extended his arm out, handing off the slip of paper. Kai snatched it and made quick work scanning the available options. Lloyd hopped off his bed and inched closer, green eyes wide and curious.

"Can I see what's left too?" He asked, hopeful. Kai looked at him and then snorted.

"No way, you get last pick, _Green Ninja_." The brunette teased as he waved the paper in his hand. Lloyd pursed his lips and quickly turned his eyes to Zane. The nindroid looked back at him and smiled apologetically, knowing the remaining chores were out of his control.

After some squabbling, Zane left satisfied, carrying the paper back towards Master Wu's chambers. He knocked on his teacher's door and awaited a reply.

"Come in." Wu said softly, seated on his knees in the middle of the room, taking another sip of his tea. Zane entered quietly and smiled.

"I have the list," He said sweetly as he held the paper out to Wu. "Here you are, sensei."

"Thank you, Zane," The bearded man replied, nodding his head towards his desk. "Please leave it there."

"Of course," The nindroid said, walking to the desk and setting the paper down atop it.

"Have you settled in?" Wu inquired, clutching his steaming cup between his hands, while he glanced towards Zane.

"I will," Zane replied quickly, "the others are still unpacking. I will help them."

Wu smiled. "I'm sure they can do that for themselves," He said in a sagely way. "You should focus on yourself. Allow them the opportunity to orient themselves."

Zane eyed him, but quickly nodded, bowing his head a bit. "Yes, sensei."

"Go on, go relax," Wu hummed, "we will have dinner in an hour and we can discuss more then."


	3. Chapter II

**Chapter II:** Adjusting

* * *

Dinner was largely uneventful. It was a simple meal of steamed white rice, with grilled fish, spinach and shaved bonito.

The group ate uncharacteristically quietly. There were a few small exchanges, but no real substance to any conversation.

When supper was finished, plates and cutlery were cleared from the table, with Jay taking first dish duty. While the Master of Lightning washed and dried, Nya wiped down the table and Kai put away the place settings. It was all very meticulous.

For now, it seemed they were taking their assigned chores to heart, if only to please Master Wu.

"Ninja," Wu said as he stood from his seat at the head of their table, "when you are finished here I would like for you all to meet me in the training area."

"Yes, sensei." They all responded in unison.

Lloyd, Zane and Cole waited patiently for their teammates to complete their chores, not seeming all that eager to rush to what they assumed would be a long lecture from their wise old teacher.

"What you think he wants to talk about?" Cole asked, arms crossed over his chest and back leaning against the wall.

"Probably secret ninja stuff…" Lloyd shrugged as he watched Kai and Nya finish with the dining area.

"Perhaps he wishes to speak to us about our new living arrangements?" Zane suggested, turning his head to look at his brothers.

"Could be," Kai eased himself casually into the conversation, the place settings now neatly stored away, "y'never know with Wu." Green, black and white all nodded in agreement.

"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about." Nya said as she approached, wiping her hands off on her skirt. "Are we just waiting for Jay?"

"Mhmm." Cole hummed and nodded.

"And you wait no longer!" Jay cheered, tugging a pair of pink rubber gloves off his hands, tossing them carelessly into the kitchen sink. "Time for a sensei Wu pep-talk, I'd wager?"

"Might as well go find out," The green ninja sighed, walking out of the room and into the hall, leading the group towards their dojo. It took no time to reach the training area, with Lloyd opening the sliding door and ushering his friends in ahead of him.

Kai was the first to enter the room, spying a row of six neatly aligned pillows, knowing that was their designated sitting area. "Guess he wants us here…" The Master of Fire reasoned aloud, walking over to the cushions. He eyed them curiously, noting their colour, and taking a seat on the red one – second from the far left. To Kai's left, at the end of the line, was the green pillow, upon which Lloyd seated himself. To Kai's right was the silver pillow, taken by Nya whom quickly occupied it. At her opposite side sat Zane, then Cole and finally Jay on the far end.

The seating didn't seem to be in any particular order, at least, not that any of them could identify.

In front of the row of six was a tea tray. Atop it was an azure blue teapot, adorned with white calligraphy and an ornate dragon design, with a simple matching blue teacup beside it. The tea tray sat between the six and a solo pillow, which they assumed to be Wu's seat.

"Thank you for coming," Wu entered the room from an adjoining one, opening and closing a sliding door, before walking across the padded floor to take his seat. He set his bamboo staff down at his side, then proceeded to pour himself a cup of hot tea. Sitting back on his haunches, the master brought the cup to his lips and blew, taking a delicate sip and sighing happily.

Lloyd, somewhat impatient, ventured first. "Uh, Master Wu?"

"Patience, Lloyd," Wu admonished softly, his hands and tea cup coming to rest atop his knees. There was another bout of silence as the sagely man scanned his eyes across his row of anxiously awaiting pupils. "You all seem rather nervous. Any particular reason why?"

"No, sensei, we are just anticipating your lecture." Zane informed easily. Wu chuckled.

"Do you always assume I'm going to give a lecture?" He waited, his question met with murmurs of consensus, casual shrugs of shoulders and nods of heads. Shaking his own head, Wu hummed and freed a hand to stroke his beard. "I called you hear to ask if you are pleased with the… _renovations_ made to the Bounty."

Renovations referring to the fact that several additions had been made to the vessel, including the inclusion of new rooms, which made it possible for the ninja to have more bedroom space. The kitchen had also been expanded, their training area seeing much needed upgrades, and an area on the lower deck added in to provide a space to work on machinery.

"They're great, Master Wu," Nya smiled warmly, "I appreciate having my own room…and the new workspace."

Wu smiled back. "I'm happy to hear it." He turned his eyes to Lloyd and Kai. "You two are content being roommates?"

Lloyd nodded his head. "Yeah, I'm fine with it."

"Same here." Kai agreed. Wu turned his eyes to Cole and Jay.

"And you two?"

"I can deal with it," Jay hummed exasperatedly, clearly putting on an overdramatic show. This earned an elbow to the side from Cole.

"It's fine, Sensei Wu, I can deal with motormouth like ninety percent of the time…"

Jay arched his notched brow. "Ninety percent?"

"Well, yeah," Cole nodded, "You snore something awful. Rattles the whole boat."

"Oh, _ha ha_ , very funny," Jay stuck his tongue out childishly. Wu rolled his eyes, then looked to Zane.

"And I take it you are comfortable, Zane?" The Nindroid was quick to bow his head in a slight nod.

"Yes, sensei. I quite like my room."

"I'm glad," Wu raised his teacup to his lips and took another sip. "I wanted to also thank you all…for agreeing to this." The group simmered down and all glued their eyes on their mentor. "I know you've already done so much for Ninjago…"

"We'd do it again, in a heartbeat," Kai insisted with a lopsided smirk.

"Agreed." Lloyd nodded his head.

"We're the protectors of Ninjago, after all." Cole added. Wu hummed and stroked his beard again.

"Ah, yes, but you are also _young_ ," He said solemnly, "you have experienced hardships beyond your years." The aging man took another sip of his tea. "Ninjago is at peace, for now, which gives us time to better prepare for the next challenge."

"Have you foreseen a threat, master?" Zane asked, inching forward a bit in his seat.

"No," Wu answered, "but that does not mean one will not come. You've all grown so much, and I've seen great strides in your mastery of your elements, but there is always more to teach."

"So, you want to train us more?" Jay presumed. Wu nodded.

"I want to make sure you are prepared for _anything_ ," He explained, "I want to make sure you're more than capable of caring for not only Ninjago, but yourselves and each other." Wu set his now empty cup down. "Having you here will make it easier to oversee your training regularly…and will make it possible to travel wherever we are needed."

"We're ready for it!" Kai shouted, pumping his fist into the air. The others all concurred with nods and words of 'yeah,' and 'for sure'.

"You will be, with more training," Wu acquiesced. "But I'd also like to train your minds as well as your bodies." He looked amongst the group. "I intend for you to all start personalized training…if you wish to be better guardians of Ninjago, then you must understand the greater world around you."

The group cast confused and curious glanced to one another. "Uh, sure," Nya pipped up first, "so you mean…actual studies? Like schoolwork?" Wu nodded, earning a few soft groans.

"Your education is important," He said firmly, "you must sharpen your mind, like you would any weapon."

"Yes, sensei." They all replied.

"Good," The elderly man smiled to them, "then you are dismissed for the evening. Feel free to do as you please." He took his staff in hand and stood slowly, toddling off towards the door from which he'd entered. "Be ready to start training at six." He opened the adjoining door, sliding it aside and stepping through the threshold, closing it behind him.

"Well, it's," Jay reached into his pocket and fished out his phone, swiping his thumb across it and reading the screen as it lit up, "seven thirty-two…so I guess we can do whatever for a few hours." He cast his blue eyes to his teammates. "Any ideas?"

"I want to go look at the new mechanics area," Nya said as she stood and patted off her legs, "acquaint myself with all the tools, y'know?" She turned away and walked towards the door, sliding it open. "If you guys need me, I'll be in there!" She called from the hallway as she walked off.

"I would like to see if any upgrades have been made to the computer systems on the bridge," Zane smiled and stood, "Nya and I are supposed to oversee any system updates…which I suppose we will do when she is done in the shop."

"I'm going to stick around here and see what renovations have been made to the dojo," Kai grinned widely, leaping onto his feet and striding further into the training area, eyes flicking around to various dummies that were newly installed. He cracked his knuckles as his amber gaze fell on one particularly large and foreboding looking setup.

"I'll stay here and make sure Kai doesn't break anything," Lloyd said tiredly, standing and walking after the Master of Fire, following his eyes to the central apparatus. "Master Wu said that one cost the most…maybe _break in_ another one?"

Kai scoffed as a smirk tugged up the corner of his lips. "They're meant to be beat on, _green bean_ , I'm only going to do to it what it's intended purpose is."

Lloyd puffed his reddening cheeks at the embarrassing nickname, but let it slide in favour of arguing over the use of the dummies with Kai.

"I guess that just leaves us, huh?" Jay turned his eyes to Cole, whom was now laying flat on his back, arms folded behind his head and eyes trained on the ceiling. Jay blinked at him. "Cole?"

"Hmm?" The dark-haired teen turned his head lazily and looked over at the brunette. "What?"

"I said I guess that just leaves us," He gestured between them, "want to do something?" Cole shrugged his shoulders languidly and stifled a yawn. He was tired from the earlier trip, having spent several hours in his dad's car, driving between Ninjago City and the nondisclosed location the Bounty had been anchored. The entire drive his father talked his ear off, mostly about the quartet, but some bits about how proud he was of his son. Although it was largely about The Royal Blacksmiths, and the upcoming tour, of which Lou was hopelessly excited for.

Cole loved his father, but listening to him talk essentially nonstop for nearly three hours really tested the limits of his patience. He mused on that for a moment. Maybe some training of the mind would be good, especially if it'd help with focus.

"Cole?" Jay prodded, brows knitting together in mild annoyance.

"What?" The Master of Earth blinked, not having realized he'd spaced out for a moment.

"You're tired, huh?" Jay assumed. "You want to just head back to the room? I need to finish unpacking still, anyways."

Cole gasped and placed a hand on his chest, feigning shock. " _What_?" He gawked, " _You_ still need to unpack? But you'd brought so _little_ with you, I'm surprised there is still anything left to do."

"Shut up." Jay rolled his eyes and got up onto his feet, pocketing his phone and stomping out of the room. Cole turned his head slightly to watch as the smaller teen left, sighing to himself, and turning his eyes up to the ceiling.

 _Maybe he wasn't the only one having their patience tested today_.

A loud bang and a flash of bright light made Cole wince slightly, propping himself up on his elbows to see Kai lobbing wild punches to the head and torso of the massive wooden dummy. Red had lit his fists ablaze and green was frantically trying to get him to extinguish the fire.

"Kai, it's a WOODEN dummy!" Lloyd shouted angrily, fists clenched and teeth bared.

"Why would we get a wooden dummy when I can make fire with my mind!?" Kai retorted, still swinging jabs at the model.

 _Touché, Kai_. Cole chuckled, amused, as he finally stood up and dusted his pants off. "Hey guys," He called to the arguing duo, "try not to burn the dojo down, okay? We need to actually use it."

"I'm TRYING to keep it unburned!" Lloyd yelled back. With another laugh, Cole exited the room, walking far enough down the hall that the squabbling of his two friends were drowned out by the muttering he could hear coming from his bedroom.

He paused outside the slightly open doorway, inhaling deeply and turning to enter the room. "Jay, listen I'm—"

"I don't want to hear it, Cole!" Jay barked back at him, hands buried in a box and his back to the taller male.

"No, Jay, I'm trying—"

"To laugh at how many boxes I packed, I know," Jay muttered bitterly under his breath, tugging out a blanket and standing to flap it open.

"Just listen, Jay," Cole walked over and planted a hand firmly on Jay's shoulder, feeling the Master of Lightning tense and twitch under his touch. "I'm trying to apologize. I shouldn't tease you about it. You packed smart."

Jay was quiet for a moment, digging his fingers tightly into the fabric of his blanket. "It's fine," He said suddenly, "I guess I'm just tired from the trip." Cole frowned, moving his hand from Jay's shoulder to his back, rubbing small circles into it soothingly.

"I hear you, me too," Black said to blue with a small smile. "But I am glad we're sharing a room."

The corner of Jay's lip twitched, threatening to pull up into a smile. "Me too." He pressed back subconsciously into Cole's hand, eyes drooping closed, his entire body just short of melting into the warm and gentle touch. These sorts of little touches were normal between the two, being best friends, they were quite comfortable with one another over the years.

"Do you need any help unpacking?" Cole asked, drawing Jay out of his relaxed stupor.

" _Huh_? Oh, uh," The brunette looked down, one box left to unpack, which was just his bedding. "I'm almost done…just bed stuff. Sheets and…" He lifted the blanket in his hands up a bit, smiling sheepishly at Cole, "blankets."

Cole nodded. "I don't mind, my bed is already made," He drew his hand back and Jay felt a rush of cold over that area, already missing the delicate and tactile touch of his friend, stifling an annoyed whine that caught in his throat. "here, let me help." The Master of Earth stepped around him and reached into the box, tugging out pillow cases, looking them over curiously.

Jay stole a glance at Cole, admiring him for a minute, before trailing down to the cases in his hands. "Uh, yeah, you can just put them on those pillows." Blue pointed to a set of undressed pillows sitting on the mattress.

"Sure." Cole smiled.

"Thanks." Jay couldn't help but smile back. 

* * *

**A/N:** Big thank you to everyone for being so incredibly supportive with the first chapter! I really love writing for Ninjago, so I hope I can continue to please. I'm going to try to start uploading chapters on a weekly basis. I'll aim for chapters to come out on Mondays, but I may upload more than once if I find the time. There's going to be a gradual build-up to the relationships, so hopefully you guys don't mind!


	4. Chapter III

**Chapter III:** Booksmarts

* * *

 **A/N:** This chapter's a little longer than the previous ones because 1) I didn't upload on schedule; and 2) I really wanted to get their studies out in the open. Expect the next chapter to be posted sooner than this was compared to chapter 2. Enjoy!

* * *

Zane was the first to wake. The morning was cool, but the temperature was never something that bothered the nindroid. Still in bed, the white-haired male turned his head slightly and cast his blue eyes around the room, calmly taking in his surroundings.

His eyes roamed around the neatly organized bedroom, jumping from the door, to his desk, and then to his shelf, upon which he'd placed several tiny knickknacks. He'd kept several small pieces, mostly machinery from some of their mechs and vehicles, organizing them chronologically. They were keepsakes, physical representations of the memories he shared with his _family,_ and very special to him.

Smiling to himself, the nindroid's eyes soon fell on his bedside clock, noting that it was only half past four. The sun had not yet risen, and surely neither had his teammates, but he opted to prepare breakfast so they could share a meal before Wu began their lessons.

Stepping out of bed, his feet touched down on the chilly wooden floorboards, and he didn't so much as flinch. He stood, turned, and diligently made his bed. Once satisfied he'd smoothed out the blanket as much as possible, removing any unwanted creases, he walked across and out of his bedroom, gently closing the door behind him.

He crept down the hallway, passing the rooms of his brothers and sister, making his way to the kitchen. As quietly as possible, he located all the necessary ingredients, utensils and dishes, working happily as he prepared a warm meal to greet the other ninja with.

Nya was next to wake. She did so naturally, with no need for an alarm, as her internal clock always woke her early. It was a habit she'd developed in childhood, when she and Kai ran their parents' blacksmith shop, and she always had to wake Kai in the morning before they could open.

"Hmm," The Master of Water sat upright and stretched her arms above her head, popping her back before lowering her arms. She then kicked her legs over the side of her bed, hopping onto her feet and wincing slightly at the coldness of the floor. " _Cold…cold…_ " She muttered to herself, stepping across her floor and moving more toward the center to start her morning stretches.

"One, two…, three…," She counted softly to herself, feet together and pointed forward, as she straightened her back and folded down, touching her toes with her fingers. She repeated this several times before finally being satisfied with the routine. "I wonder if the guys are awake…" She mused to herself as she walked towards her door, opening it and stepping into the hallway.

Silently, she moved to the door beside her own, grabbing the handle and turning it. Peeking inside, she could see Cole and Jay still silently snoozing in their respective beds. She smiled a bit and gently closed the door. Moving onto the next door, she opened it in a similar fashion, and dipped her head in to see Kai snoring loudly and Lloyd curled into a tight ball.

"They are all still sleeping."

Nya practically jumped out of her skin at the unexpected voice behind her, quickly whirling around with her hands raised reflexively, ready to defend herself should she need. "Zane!" She hissed in a hushed tone, quickly closing the door, hoping she didn't rouse the two occupants.

"My apologies, Nya," Zane said humbly, offering her a small smile, "I have prepared breakfast…but I was going to wait until the others were awake." Nya visibly relaxed and then smiled to her metallic friend.

"That's really sweet, Zane," She clapped her hand on his shoulder and patted him. The nindroid turned his eyes to her hand, then back to her face.

"I am happy to do it." He said sweetly.

"I know you are…"

The door behind them creaked open slowly and a messy shag of blonde hair came into view. "You guys are loud…" Lloyd mumbled tiredly, yawning wide before rubbing sleep from his eyes. "Why are you talking right outside the door?"

"Our soft talking woke you up, but not Kai's snoring?" Nya asked incredulously, her question punctuated by another loud snore from within the room. Lloyd nodded.

"I can sleep through that," He said tiredly, "it's consistent…you guys talking isn't."

"Sorry," Nya relented, reaching over to tussle Lloyd's hair, "you can go back to bed and we'll talk elsewhere."

"I'm awake now…" The green ninja huffed, ducking out from under Nya's hand, silently wondering why the Smith siblings felt it necessary to always do _that_. "And I smell pancakes."

Zane beamed widely. "I made breakfast."

"Breakfast sounds good," Lloyd smiled back to Zane. "Should we wake the others up?"

"No need," Jay said as he stepped out of his door, "you guys woke me up…and I can get Cole up in a matter of seconds."

"Should you not let him awaken naturally?" Zane suggested.

" _Pfft_ , nah," Jay waved his hand dismissively, "Cole sleeps like a log…if I don't wake him he'll just stay in bed."

"Guess I'll wake Kai," Lloyd said sluggishly, turning back into his room and ambling towards the Master of Fire's bed. There Kai laid, on his back, limbs splayed out and head on his pillow. His blanket lay across only his mostly exposed stomach, his shirt having rolled up to reveal skin. "Kai?" Lloyd mumbled sleepily, flopping down hard across Kai's body, making the taller teen let out an ' _oof_ ', his eyes flying open instantly.

"Wha—Lloyd!" Kai growled, brows knitting together as he glared down at the smaller ninja, while Lloyd murmured something unintelligible. "What're you doing? Get off…" The Master of Fire twisted slightly and tried to maneuver out from under his friend.

"It's time for breakfast," Green turned his head slightly to smile at red, "and Nya told me to wake you up like this."

"I did not!" Nya shouted, leaning into their doorway, her eyes on the two.

"This better not be a reoccurring thing," Kai said evenly, "otherwise I'm definitely putting in for a room change." Lloyd shot up quickly and stood at Kai's bedside.

"It won't be, don't worry!" He insisted anxiously. The brunette eyed the blonde for a moment and then shot him his trademark sideways smirk.

"Take it easy, _green bean_ , I'm just teasing." The Master of Fire slid himself to the edge of his bed and threw his legs over the side, standing up and forcing Lloyd to step back a bit as he occupied the space. Absently, Kai raked his fingers through his messy hair, scratching his scalp as he stifled a yawn with his opposite hand. "So, breakfast?"

"Yeah," Lloyd smiled sheepishly, casting his eyes back to where Nya and Zane stood, "Zane made pancakes, I think, so we should eat before Master Wu starts our lessons."

Kai smacked his lips tiredly. " _Mmhmm_ , sure." He stretched his arms above his head and groaned softly.

"Glad we're in agreement," Nya chortled, "now can we eat?"

"Yes, we can," Jay chimed in, dragging a very sluggish Cole out of their shared room by the arm, pulling the Master of Earth into the hallway. "Cole's up, we can eat."

Cole yawned loudly and rubbed the heel of his palm into his eye. "What's happening?"

"Food," Jay turned to face his significantly taller friend, one hand still clasped around Cole's forearm, and the other wagging a finger at him, "I've said this five times already. You need to listen."

"I need to _sleep_ ," Cole groaned miserably, doing his absolute best to be deadweight as Jay tried in vain to tug him any further. "I'm tired, Jay…and you're loud."

"I can be louder," Jay said flatly, wholly unamused by his uncooperative roommate. "Don't you want to eat before we start—"

"No." The Master of Earth grumbled.

"But Zane made pancakes—"

"Pancakes?" Cole perked up immediately, wide awake and ready to devour a plate of delicious flapjacks. Jay rolled his eyes and grumbled to himself.

"I should have lead with that."

"C'mon, Jay," Cole grinned, dipping down enough to scoop the smaller teen up, throwing the Master of Lightning over his shoulder.

"Hey—!" Jay squeaked, latching on hard to Cole's back, afraid to fall. "Put—put me down!"

" _Pancakes, pancakes_ ," Cole sing-songed, ignoring Jay's pleas as he strode past the others, heading straight for the kitchen and towards the enticingly sweet smell. Jay made a half-hearted attempt to wriggle free from Cole's strongarm grasp, kicking his legs with little effort, before going slack and allowing himself to be carried off.

Truth be told, Jay didn't much mind being carted around like this, since Cole had a habit of making shows of his superior strength by lifting others with ease…but catching the eyes of his amused teammates as Cole carried him past was more than enough incentive to blush. Quickly turning his head, the Master of Lightning averting his gaze, avoiding their eyes and ignoring their snickers.

"Wow, everything looks great," Cole gawked at the spread as he entered the dining area. Zane had pulled out all the stops. The table was dressed, napkins and place settings included, with bowls of fresh cut fruit, yogurt and slices of fried back bacon all circling a massive plate filled with stacked pancakes. The Master of Ice had also taken the liberty of putting syrup and jam on the table. Everything looked amazing.

"I wouldn't know." Jay deadpanned, still slung limply over Cole's shoulder, with his body facing the wrong direction.

"Oh, yeah, forgot about you," Black quickly set blue down on his feet, patting his head and grinning. "There you go." Jay huffed at him, turning quickly and walking around the table to take a seat.

Cole blinked at his clearly irritated friend, straightening up and rubbing the back of his neck. "Jay, I—"

"Oh man, this looks amazing!" Kai hollered as he slipped into the room, his socked feet gliding him along the polished floorboards.

"Don't do that, you're going to break something," Nya admonished, pushing past her older brother and taking one of the seats, waiting patiently for the others to orient themselves.

"I won't," Kai scoffed, deliberately sliding the remaining distance to the nearest chair, challenging his younger sibling with the display. " _See?_ "

"You guys are always squabbling," Lloyd huffed, walking past Kai and around Nya, taking one of the side seats beside the silver ninja rather than at either end, "We get it, you are siblings, but the routine's old." The blonde grabbed his fork and stabbed it into the stack of pancakes, spearing three fluffy flapjacks and slamming them onto his plate.

"Like you never bicker with anyone," Nya remarked casually, taking her fork in hand and snatching one of the pancakes off Lloyd's plate rather than taking one from the stack. "You're probably the worst offender."

"Hey—!" Lloyd glowered as he spun his fork in hand before stabbing it down into the stolen pancake, his green eyes narrowing on Nya's own silvery-blue. Both held their stern expressions for a moment, but soon relented and began laughing.

"There are enough pancakes for everyone," Zane said evenly, his blue eyes blinking at the odd behaviour, as he took the seat beside Jay and across from Lloyd and Nya. "Or should I make more?"

"No, no," Jay patted Zane on the shoulder, to which Zane turned his head to eye his friend's hand, before traveling up his arm to his face, "you made more than enough, buddy."

"Yeah, everything looks great," Cole nodded to Zane as he slid into a seat at the head of the table, the only one still available. "Thanks for making breakfast…again."

The nindroid smiled happily. "I like making breakfast."

"We know, and we appreciate it…" Kai said as he happily crammed food into his mouth, chomping on pancakes and back bacon.

"Chew your food…" Nya said as she cut a pancake into bitesize pieces.

"'M alweady chewin' mah foo!" Kai shot back, his cheeks stuffed, as he wolfed down his meal.

"Like a civilized person, Kai," The Master of Water rolled her eyes as Kai sneered and proceeded to stuff an entire pancake, dripping with a generous amount of maple syrup, into his mouth.

"Good to know that table manners aren't lost on you." Jay quipped as he munched on a piece of diced apple.

"I believe in some cultures it is complimentary to shovel food down your throat," Kai retorted as he jabbed his fork in Jay's direction before stabbing it into another helpless pancake.

"Yeah, well, not in this house—erm, boat." The Master of Lightning shot back.

"You're not boss of the boat!" Kai laughed tauntingly.

"No, but I am," Master Wu said from behind Kai, making the brunette jump a little and quickly whirl his head around.

"Sensei!"

Wu smirked and waved his hand dismissively. "Oh please, don't stop on my account," He said as he rounded the table and walked towards the kitchen, "I was only meditating in what had been a peacefully quiet morning."

"We are sorry for the noise, Sensei," The Master of Ice bowed his head apologetically. Wu grabbed a teacup from the pantry, setting it down on the counter top as he reached for his teapot, removing the lid.

"You do not need to apologize, Zane," The wise old man replied as he busied himself preparing a pot of his favourite tea, "I had anticipated this much noise, especially with six teenagers moving in."

"Still," Cole interjected, "we can work on being quieter."

"Hmm," Wu hummed his reply as he set the pot on the stovetop to boil, "are you all ready to begin your studies?"

The sudden change of topic made the crew straighten up a bit. _They most definitely were not ready to start their studies_. Training their bodies, combat, that was something they'd grown accustomed to over the years. When it came to pursuits of the academic kind, only half of them maintained such things, and all in very specialized areas. Basics had flown under the radar for some time.

"Uh, yes?" Jay ventured, tossing another slice of apple into his mouth.

"You say that with a lack of certainty," Wu laughed heartily, "this is not meant as a punishment. It is important to enrich your minds." The teapot began to whistle loudly and Wu quickly removed it from the stovetop. "I have picked areas of study which I believe best suits each of you." He steeped some premade teabags into the steaming pot. "You are a team, remember this, and you should all bring something…unique. Something that aids your team."

"Don't we already?" Kai piped up. "We're Elemental Masters, after all." There were some soft murmurs of agreement and nods of the head.

"Hmm, yes," Wu poured some tea into his cup, "you are all Elemental Masters…but besides holding your own unique elemental power, what else can you all do?"

"Uh, spinjitsu?" Lloyd ventured.

"We can all do that." Nya was quick to correct.

"I have super strength!" Cole clenched his fists and flexed his biceps.

"Yeah, but that's just _you_ ," Jay retorted, "I don't think we have any special abilities like that." The Master of Lightning took pause for a moment, then shot his wide blue eyes to Wu. "Or do we? Have we just not tapped into them yet? Oh! Am I able to, like, shoot around super fast!" Jay slammed his hands down on the table. "I want super speed, dibs!" The others all looked amongst themselves, then to Wu, who raised his teacup to his lips and blew at the steam.

"Perhaps you have some untapped potential within you," He said calmly, taking a slow sip of his tea, "but it is important that you all have some knowledge you can offer to your team."

"I know a ton about tech." Nya said proudly.

"Yeah, me too, I'm good with machines." Jay added quickly.

"And Zane's basically a super computer…" Kai thumbed towards the nindroid.

Wu sighed. "Yes, that's all true, but there is still much you can all learn. The studies I have selected for all of you are what I believe would be beneficial."

"Well, we'll do whatever you say, Sensei." Lloyd smiled with diffidence. The others all nodded in unison.

"I am happy to hear that," Wu took the handle of his teapot in hand and began walking out of the kitchen, "once you have finished your meal meet me in the dojo."

"We should finish eating." Zane suggested to his now significantly quieter teammates. Even the nindroid could sense the mounting tension, knowing his teammates were apprehensive about taking on new classes with Wu, but the metallic teen trusted his teacher entirely and was confident that his little family would fare well despite this new obstacle.

"Yeah, good idea," Lloyd mumbled as he bit down on a slice of back bacon.

"I think I've got dishes after this." Cole said, tapping his fork against his plate absently, casting his eyes between the kitchen and the table.

"I'll help you." Jay offered as he munched on some grapes.

The Master of Earth blinked at the unexpected offer. "Thanks, Jay." He smiled to which Jay casually shrugged his shoulders.

"Sure, it's not a problem."

The rest of the meal went by quickly and quietly, with only the sounds of cutlery filling the room. Once everyone was full and satisfied, four of the six left the room to change into day clothes. Cole and Jay, still clad in nothing but their sleep shirts and boxers, proceeded to wash the dishes. Zane had been merciful, and cleaned all the dishes from the breakfast prep, so all the duo needed to tend to were plates and cutlery from the meal.

"Hey, uh, thanks for helping me out," Cole said casually, both arms plunged deep into the warm soapy water, his hands scrubbing at the syrup and jam stains on the porcelain. Jay shrugged again, taking one of Cole's freshly washed plates from the dishrack and drying it with a cloth.

"Like I said, it's not a problem."

Cole cast his dark eyes sideways, stealing a glance at his shorter companion, taking notice of the subtle way his brow dipped and his nose scrunched. "You going to tell me what's bugging you?" The Master of Earth prodded, setting another wet plate into the rack. Jay tensed visibly, turning his head ever so slightly away, and rubbing the plate in his hands the tiniest bit more roughly.

"Nothing's wrong." He said quickly.

"You're lying," The taller of the two replied flatly. "I know when you're lying, Jay."

The brunette sighed. "Sorry, it's nothing, really." Cole wasn't convinced.

"Try me." He challenged, finishing another plate.

"Cole—"

"I'm serious, Jay. We tell each other everything." The ebony haired teen turned fully to face his freckled friend, leaning his hip against the counter. Jay chewed at his lower lip, gnawing it with his front teeth.

"It's just, I dunno, I got embarrassed when the guys laughed earlier. It's stupid."

Cole arched a single brow. "They laughed earlier? What for?"

Jay snorted. "Because you swung me over your shoulder like a ragdoll?"

The Master of Earth pursed his lips. "I thought you didn't mind that?" Jay's fingers tightened around the lip of the plate in his hands.

"I don't…it's fine, never bothered me. It wasn't that, it was just the laughing, I don't know…" Jay set the plate down on the counter and teased the fabric of the washcloth, wringing it out slowly. Cole frowned a bit, scratching absently at his jaw.

"Well, don't let them bother you," He said coolly, "they don't mean anything by it. And so what if they laugh? I'll pick them up next time!" Cole reached over and patted Jay on the back reassuringly. "Then we'll see who's laughing." Jay forced a smile, despite the fact the idea of Cole throwing any of the others over his shoulder made his stomach feel heavy, like a weight was dropped inside it.

He liked the closeness the two of them shared. And, for some reason, he didn't want to extend that to the others. Cole was _his_ best friend, after all.

"Nah," Jay quickly waved off, "don't pick them up. It's not as much fun, right?" Cole blinked at the statement, then laughed and shook his head.

"No, it's not as much fun." He admitted. Which was true, Jay always had the best reactions, which none of their teammates could match. With a grin, he slung an arm around Jay's shoulders and pulled the Master of Lightning into him. "We good now?" Jay smiled and gently elbowed Cole in the ribs in a playful sort of way.

"Yeah, we're good, you doofus."

"Great!" Cole beamed. "Then we should finish these dishes and get back to everyone else."

"Sure." Jay replied, his attention back to the task at hand.

When everything was finished, black and blue returned to their shared room, proceeded to change into their day clothes and quickly made their way to the training area. Kai, Nya, Zane and Lloyd were all waiting patiently outside the door, almost seeming disappointed when Cole and Jay arrived.

"Guess we should go in now," Lloyd breathed, "c'mon." He gestured for the team to follow him as he opened the sliding door and they all entered. Quickly and quietly, the six took their respective seats, waiting with hands on their knees for Wu.

"Ah, you're all here," Wu entered the room behind them, closing the door and taking his place. In one arm he held a stack of books, which he set down to his side. "Thank you for coming."

"Of course, Sensei." Cole said with a smile.

"Are you all excited for your new lessons?" The sagely man asked as he spread the books out in front of him, lining them all up side by side. There was a short pause, and Wu cleared his throat.

"Yes?" Jay tried, his smile no where near believable. Wu chuckled.

"Come now, this is not something you six should be so worried about," He said truthfully. In his hand he held up the first of the six books, extending it out to Jay. The Master of Lightning eyed the book for a moment before reluctantly taking it, turning it over and reading the cover aloud.

"Reading the weather?" He said lamely.

"Yes," Wu smiled, "I believe that you, Master of Lightning, should be able to put your abilities to use in reading the skies. It will be vital that your team has someone who can recognize changes in atmospheric pressure. You already have excellent attention to detail, so this should translate well for you." Jay flicked his eyes up to Wu and offered an uncertain smile.

"If you say so, Sensei."

Wu lifted the second book and held it out to Cole. The Master of Earth took it without hesitation and read it over. "Uh, Zoology, Sensei?" The master smiled.

"Yes, Master of Earth, it is time you became more in tune with the creatures that share this world with us. You were so fond of Rocky once you overcame your fear of dragons, I believe you'll find it interesting to come to understand other creatures as well. It will also help your teammates to be knowledgeable about the wildlife in Ninjago."

A third book was lifted and offered to Zane. Immediately, the nindroid took the book, and read the title aloud as his brothers had done. "Ninjago Cultures…" The nindroid raised his eyes from the book and glued them to his wise teacher. "Perhaps…someone more…adept at human interaction would be a more suitable candidate for this?"

Wu shook his head. "You are the perfect candidate, Zane, you have a kind heart and are willing to open your mind and learn from others. You are fascinated by the world and its people…you will do wonderfully studying the cultures of the people of Ninjago." Zane nodded his head, his glowing eyes moving back down to the cover of the book. Wu took the fourth book in hand and extended it out to Nya.

The Master of Water took the book with her eyes closed. She drew the book in and slowly cracked an eye open. "Ninjago Folklore…?" The ebony haired girl opened both of her eyes fully and flipped the book open, landing on the first page, skimming it curiously.

"Yes." Wu hummed. "You have extensive knowledge when it comes to machines, and I believe your ability to catalogue information will make studying the lore of our world much easier. I've also known you to take interest in such things before, and I would like the nurture that. Having a greater understanding of our stories will prove vital."

"And I mean, more often than not we meet myths and find out these stories are true, like, all the time," Kai bumped Nya's shoulder while grinning, "maybe you can learn a ton about Serpentine and Skulkin." Nya smiled at her brother.

"Kai," Wu extended a book out to the wild haired boy, "here you are." Kai took the book casually and looked it over, his brow creasing in mild confusion.

"Uh, Sensei, you sure this is the book for me?" He asked, a copy of _Minerals and Metals_ in his hand. Wu nodded.

"You were a blacksmith, weren't you?" The bearded man smiled. "You should already have some basics on these things, and with how often you have been caught off guard by things such as Deepstone and Clearstone…, it would be beneficial to have someone on your team that can identify and understand these things."

Finally, Wu held the last book out to Lloyd, and the green ninja tentatively took it from his uncle's grasp. He turned the book over and read the title. "Ninjago History…" He raised his eyes to Wu, frowning and perplexed.

"Those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it." Wu said wisely. The master looked across the faces of his students. "Take some time to read over the material, we will not start your studies until tomorrow." The elderly man took his staff in hand and stood.

" _Huh_ , wait," Kai looked to Wu, "if we aren't studying yet, why'd we have to get up so early?"

Wu looked back at him. "You still need to train as you would normally," He explained, "and you start patrols tonight."

All but Zane groaned.


	5. Chapter IV

**Chapter IV:** Fear

* * *

 **A/N:** Okay, so I lied. This chapter took just as long to write and post as the previous one...but at least it's longer than average? Oh well! Hopefully the next chapter won't take as long to get out. There's swearing and some other more mature stuff in this one. Until next time!

* * *

"Dinner dishes are done," Jay smiled triumphantly as he walked from the kitchen and into the dining area. Cole, who had volunteered to help the brunette as a return of favour, followed closely behind his friend's stride.

"Great," Lloyd said as he adjusted the wrap around his waist. "I guess I'll give out assignments?"

"Sure," Nya nodded, standing by the table where a map of New Ninjago City was splayed out. Lloyd turned to face the table and tapped pointedly to the east end of the city.

"Nya, can you and Zane cover the lower east?" Green asked Silver. The ebony haired girl gave an affirmative nod.

"We've received intel that a team of roughly five have been stalking and mugging people in the area," Nya turned to Zane and grinned. "What do you say about putting an end to that?"

"I would say that sounds like an excellent idea. We want the citizens to feel safe," the nindroid replied smoothly and with certainty.

"Cole, Jay," Lloyd continued, sliding his index finger across the map to the west. "The NNPD has informed us of increased criminal activity...Apparently there's been a rise in break-ins in the area. Let's stomp that out?"

Cole slammed his right first into his left palm and cracked his knuckles. "You got it, boss."

"You know we've got that covered." Jay added with a sly grin, itching to get out and stop some _bad guys_.

"That leaves you and me," Lloyd lifted his head to eye his red clad friend across the table. "We'll take central and do rounds at the Ninjago Museum of History." Kai nodded as he slipped a newly polished knife into his belt, holstering it.

"Sure thing, green bean," Red answered with a casual smile. "You know how much I _love_ that museum." The statement was positively dripping with sarcasm, but Lloyd shrugged it off, knowing that the downtown area was otherwise Kai's favourite location to scout. He would just have to deal with the fact that the museum fell into that.

"Good." The young leader rolled the map back up and turned to face his clan, lifting his hand to fiddle with the communicator on his wrist. "Let's synchronize." The six all raised their hands and timed themselves, ensuring they were all set to match, before each adjusting their respective ear pieces and donning their signature hoods.

An hour earlier, just shy of sunset, the Bounty had steered into and docked in South Ninjago's harbour. With the sun having dipped below the horizon, and twilight having well crept in, it was already growing quite dark. The dock was mostly lit up by lanterns, with only a few lights dotting from anchored ships swaying languidly on soft waves of ocean water.

The Green Ninja lead his team onto the deck of their ship, a mild breeze sweeping across the open area and tussling the loose sections of clothing on their gis. It was shaping up to be a cool night, partly overcast, with an overhead crescent moon making its presence known by peeking through obscuring clouds. The faint glimmer of stars accompanied the celestial body, shining against the ever-deepening thick blanket of dark indigo.

Lloyd turned to his crew and pulled the shroud over his mouth down enough to speak easily. "We patrol until one AM," he cast his verdant eyes across the faces of his teammates, "after that you return to the Bounty for debrief." The five nodded in unison, a wordless understanding conveyed through their eyes. "Alright, lets go!"

As if on the wind itself, the ninja dispersed in silence and disappeared into the night. The three pairs leapt off the railing of their residence, landing with soft steps onto the wooden planks of the harbour, working straight into a sprint. Nya and Zane parted with their teammates first, heading east through a side alley, quickly being engulfed in the shadows. Soon Jay and Cole split off from Lloyd and Kai, with the Master of Lightning bounding up onto the shingled roof of a fishing shop, and Cole taking the backstreet behind it.

"Where to first?" Kai asked, swiftly and gracefully jumping a six-foot fence and landing with practiced ease, not so much as missing a step.

"I figured we'd go by Borg's headquarters, then move north," Lloyd replied, effortlessly keeping pace with Kai as he deftly jumped a series of stacked shipping crates. "We'll hit up the noodle district and then the museum." Kai groaned a bit at the mere mention of that repugnant establishment.

"Sure, man, whatever you say," the Master of Fire replied as he jumped onto a nearby roof and ran along the ridge. Lloyd opted not to push the matter further and instead joined Kai on the rooftop.

A few miles away, Jay and Cole reconvened as they reached their destination, both ninja silently creeping across a railing and onto the flat top of an apartment building. Cole turned his head to Jay, watching as Blue pulled a small device from his pocket and swiped his thumb across it, illuminating the screen.

"We're good here?" The black ninja asked as he walked to the edge of the building and cast his eyes around, tracing the streets.

"Yeah," Jay replied quickly, pocketing the device and raising his head to look at his friend. "According to the intel, the break-ins have been happening a few blocks from here."

"Alright, guess we wait." Cole crouched down and sat back on his haunches, his gaze still pointed down at the roadways, scanning them.

"There," Jay suddenly pointed towards a house visible from their rooftop vantage point, where four silhouetted figures crept over a fence and entered a backyard. "That has to be them." Cole squinted his eyes and trained them on the moving shadows.

"I think you're right. Didn't have to wait long." He stood slowly and cast his eyes down. The apartment complex they were perched atop was at least ten stories, so it'd be a bit of work to get down.

"Criminals nowadays have no patience," Jay quipped wittily as he jumped onto the edge of the building and similarly peered down. "I think we're just going to have to jump it." His blue eyes flicked to the nearest building, which was roughly a story shorter than the one they were atop, and he mused silently. "Okay, we go there," He shot his arm out and pointed an extended index finger, "then run across to there," his finger moved along as he spoke, gesturing to a large billboard, "and then we can jump down over there and use that fire escape." He finished as his finger fell on a small brick building across the street from the targets' location.

"Yeah, that sounds doable." Cole was the first to take the jump, easily making it as he landed hard on both feet, certain that if the building wasn't concrete he'd have fallen through. Jay followed his lead, making the leap and tucking into a roll before bouncing back onto his feet. The pair quickly sprinted across the roof and onto the thin frame of the billboard. They crossed it in a matter of seconds and were soon on the next building and jumping down the fire escape. Landing in the alleyway, both ninja slunk along the walls, hidden in the shadows.

"C'mon," Jay nodded as he bound across the street, flitting under the lone streetlamp and rolling into position against the back wooden fence. Cole jogged after him, moving less nimbly but still with subtly, coming to Jay's side and similarly pressing his back to the fence. Just over it they could hear footsteps and muffled talking, to which they caught one another's eyes and both nodded in unison. Jay lifted first, peeking just over the edge of the fence, seeing just enough to take notice of how the four men were dressed head to toe in black garb. They wore ski masks over their faces, black gloves and hoodies. Jay rolled his eyes at how cliché the outfit choice was. Nevertheless, he continued to watch as one of the men produced a lock picking set and proceeded to fiddle with the door, while the other three men either stood guard or spied through darkened windows.

Lowering back down, Jay flashed a few hand signals to Cole, who nodded in understanding. Cole signed back, making Jay grimace, and Black rolled his eyes at Blue. With a huff, he signed something else, to which Jay cocked his head contemplatively and then nodded in agreement. Cole thumbed up into the air and then slipped away, rounding the corner of the fence. Jay, now alone, got to his feet and looked over the fence again. By now, the men had successfully opened the back door and were making their way inside, already rummaging around the room they'd entered.

"Okay Jay, you got this," He murmured to himself, grabbing the top of the fence and springing over it. He dashed quickly across the lawn and slid up beside the open door, back pressed to the wall as he waited.

"Fuck, guys," Jay overheard one of the men cussing, "there's an alarm!" He hissed and the Master of Lightning assumed the men had located a silent alarm, probably affixed to a wall somewhere within the room.

"We've got five minutes," another said bitterly, his words followed by the sounds of shuffling and rummaging, undoubtedly prompted by their now significantly shorter time frame for the job. Jay breathed evenly and continued to wait, knowing that by now Cole had already entered the upper level of the house and was checking for any occupants.

It had become a part of their routine when break-ins were involved; they always checked for anyone hiding or unaware of the intruders, that way they could either be moved to a safer location or reassured before confronting the burglars. Working in twos meant that one could do this, while the other kept watch.

The only problem was that Cole always forgot to tell Jay the signal. So instead, he just waited until something alerted him. _Something like_ —

"Holy fuck, there's a hooded dude in here!"

— _like that_. Jay whirled around and drew his nunchucks, ready to block the exit. As everything came into view, he saw Cole grabbing one of the men by the hood and hoisting him off his feet. The man kicked wildly in an attempt to free himself, which only resulted in Cole tossing him hard into one of his companions, both of them falling hard onto the ground. A third assailant charged the black ninja, lobbing a punch in his direction, but Cole easily avoided it and tossed his own in retaliation. The man flew back from the force of the punch to the gut and slammed hard enough into the far wall that he was knocked unconscious.

When no fourth attacker came at Cole, Jay quickly realized one of the men was gone, and he ran into the house and past the Master of Earth. He barely heard Cole calling after him as he ran to the front, finding the door thrown open.

"No!" He clenched his jaw and dashed out the open door, bounding down the walkway and through the unlatched gate. Being the Master of Lightning, Jay was fast, inhumanly so when he was focused. It took him very little time to get across the street and see the black clad figure racing through an empty park. "You're not getting away that easily." Jay scowled, following the man through the park, soon hot on his heels. The man chanced a glance over his shoulder, seeing Jay just feet behind him and glared darkly, rounding a nearby fence. It was only then he realized he'd run himself into a dead end, boxed in by high wooden fences to three sides.

"Shit!" he cussed, whirling around as he heard Jay come to stop.

"Thought you could get away from the Master of Lightning, huh?" Jay gloated, a wide grin spreading across his face under his shroud. "Ain't nothing faster than lightning!" Feeling confident in their positions, he raised his hand to touch his communicator, taking his eyes off the man. "Hey Cole, yeah, in the park...not far. I got him, yeah I—"

He trailed off as he heard a distinct sound, one which was foreign and yet known to him, and something deep in his gut told him something was wrong. A deep, primal fear, one which bubbled up just bellow his skin and made his hairs stand on end.

It was a subtle but unmistakable _click_.

Turning his head, his piercing blues narrowed on the aimed barrel of a small handgun, the wielder of which held it at the ready to fire. Jay froze in place, like a deer in headlights, and beneath the shroud of his hood stared petrified at the weapon trained on his now quivering form. The tremors in his body were mild, certainly not visible enough in the minimal light cast by a nearby streetlamp, but they made his limbs feel boneless.

There was another sound, a subtle metallic rattling as the gun was raised slightly and aimed between his eyes. It was the only certain part of him visible; it only stood to reason to aim where you could see. What felt like minutes had been seconds, and Jay's body was drowning in the unbearable mixture of tension and dread. The overwhelming cocktail was threatening to swallow him whole.

The blue ninja was fixed, unable to will his limbs to move, and certain that his slightest shift would result in his untimely demise. His element, however, was too proud to be tamed by the human's fear. It sparked to light in brilliant streaks of azure, springing from the Master of Lightning's hands and forearms, and dancing along the ground around his feet. It, too, was poised and ready to eliminate the threat that caused its host so much anguish.

But its presence only seemed to agitate the gunman, who shoved the weapon forward menacingly. The hostile display was almost enough to jerk Jay out of his transfixed state. With the pistol being forced in his direction, his stomach twisted painfully and his heart leapt into his throat, its beating rhythm so loud it was pounding in his ears.

But he still couldn't move.

Cole, unnerved by the sudden drop in communication as he tied the three would-be burglars up, wasted no time in running after Jay. He knew Jay had chased the fleeing fourth member into the nearby park, so he made his way there in an anxious hurry.

" _Jay, Jay—!_ " The voice sounded so far away that Jay barely registered it. The Master of Lightning was entirely unaware of Cole approaching them, calling out for him, his voice raised slightly and laced with mounting worry.

 _Cole didn't like this, being away from Jay, not knowing where he and the missing criminal had gone._

As he came over a hill and into view, Cole hadn't expected to see that man now pointing a gun just feet away from his best friend. The sight of his usually loud and vibrant brother so still and silent, cowering in fear as he stared forward with wide eyes, snapped something deep inside the Master of Earth. He unholstered his hammer from the sheath on his back and gripped the handle hard.

"Leave him alone!" he bellowed, lunging forward with his hammer reared back, swinging it forcibly into the gunman's hand. The gun shattered on impact and the man's hand recoiled as he uttered a piercing scream. His hand crumpled much like the weapon, bones broken and skin split, allowing blood to pour freely from the tattered glove. But Cole didn't stop there. He wasted no time swinging a fist into the man's abdomen, doubling him over with minimal effort, and sending him flying backwards onto the dirt.

Through gritted teeth, Cole stomped towards the fallen man, his hands balled tightly into dangerous fists. As he stalked towards the would-be assailant, the man cowered lamely and tried to drag himself away from the approaching ninja. The ground beneath them rumbled with the animosity that surged through Cole with white hot intensity, making the drag that much harder for the man.

It took the black ninja only several strides to reach him, stepping down onto the man's left leg and pinning him painfully in place. The man cried out again and tried to scramble away but was unable to free himself.

"Please! I—I surrender!" he implored, but the ebony haired male only stared back with darkened eyes, thick black brows knitted together in a deep scowl. Behind those eyes was pure abhorrence. Without so much as a word, Cole raised his hammer and poised it for a finishing blow.

 _It would be so easy to end this_.

"C—Cole! Wait!" Jay bounded forward and slammed his body full force into Cole's back. The Master of Earth didn't so much as flinch, but that didn't deter Jay, as he quickly wound his arms around Cole's waist and buried his face against his shoulder blades, trying in vain to pull his friend back. "Don't...you can't."

There was silence and Cole paused. A moment passed before he slowly lowered his weapon and took his foot off the groveling man. Jay responded by tightening his grip around his friend, squeezing him tightly, reassuring them both it would be alright so long as the Master of Earth stopped now before things went too far.

Cole's dark eyes were trained down on the man, the man who had almost stolen his best friend from him, and he could only just barely bite back his rage for the sake of his trembling companion.

"Just...leave him be," Jay whispered softly, his voice barely audible, and soon drowned out by the sound of wailing sirens as police cars fast approached. Either someone had called in and alerted the NNPD about the fight between four masked intruders and the two ninja, or they had just happened on the men Cole had left tied up back at the house. "The police, they're here, they'll deal with him."

Another long pause befell them and Jay raised his head slightly in worry. "Fine," Cole finally said, his voice dangerously low and even. "They can have him." Jay loosened his arms and allowed Cole to step away, watching as his friend holstered his hammer. "Let's go, Jay," he said. By his tone Jay could tell that was not a request.

"Yeah," Jay perked up as he saw a police officer running in their direction. At his distance, Jay could still hear as the man called back saying that the ninja had stopped the fourth home invader. The pair didn't stick around for the praise and adoration they knew they would undoubtedly receive from the NNPD.

They disappeared from the scene without so much as a word, leaving the police scratching their heads, as the ninja normally stuck around to ensure the criminals were cuffed and escorted to police cars.

Instead, Jay and Cole made their way back to the Bounty, the trip there completely silent. No banter from Jay and no words from Cole. They arrived back at around twenty to one, making them the first to return from patrol. As soon as they were on deck, Jay shuffled to Cole and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Cole, are you okay?" The Master of Earth shrugged Jay's hand off and turned to him.

"No, I'm not!" he yelled, taking Blue by surprise. "You ran off without warning me and you almost got shot! I almost lost my _best friend_ , Jay, how do you think I feel?! I...I almost..." His rage faltered as the gravity of what he'd almost done weighed onto him.

"I'm sorry for running off, but how do you think I feel?!" Jay demanded, matching Cole's intensity with his own. "I had no idea he had a _gun_!" Cole raised his head and brown eyes met blue with ferocity.

"I—" Cole started to say something, but quickly stopped, seeing tears pooling in Jay's eyes and threatening to spill down his freckled cheeks.

"I was scared, you idiot! I know it was stupid to go alone, but I had to stop him!" Jay's eyes squeezed shut and he squared his jaw, hands balled tightly into fists and his arms shaking from the tension in them. "And then you almost, you almost—"

"I know!" Cole shouted, stepping closer to Jay, quickly righting himself and lowering his voice. " _I know..._ I was just...I was scared and mad. I can't lose you, Jay."

The Master of Lightning furiously wiped at his face, refusing to cry in front of Cole. "You won't lose me," he said, swallowing a hiccup that caught in his throat, "I just...didn't think he'd have a gun. We fight people with swords and spears all the time, people with freakin' elemental magic, I just... _I forgot to factor in guns_..."

Cole inhaled deeply and then exhaled, calming himself before pulling Jay into a tight hug. "I'm sorry I yelled..." he murmured, burying his face in Jay's hair, his nose tickled by the brunette curls.

Jay was hesitant at first, but he returned the embrace, winding his arms around Cole as best he could and giving him a squeeze. "I'm sorry I ran before getting you..." He pressed his face into Cole's broad shoulder. "I won't...it won't happen again." He could feel Cole's arms pulling him in tighter and he accepted it. Admittedly, he was still very shaken up about the event, and having Cole there was reassuring.

"Cole, Jay?" Both boys stepped apart from one another as Master Wu came onto the deck. He walked to them, bamboo staff in hand, and eyed them uncertainly. "You are early...and you were shouting. What's going on?"

"We had an altercation," Cole said solemnly, "it's fine now."

Wu curved a white brow. "If you are still bothered it is clearly not fine." He turned to Jay. "What happened?"

Jay withered under the slate coloured stare of his sensei. "One of the burglars we stopped...he had a gun..." Wu softened at the way Jay seemed to shake at the memory.

"I see," he said, mercifully cutting Jay's explanation short, "you two go rest. Have some hot tea." Both boys raised their heads, surprised by Wu's suggestion. The sagely man gave them a look. "I'm your Sensei, I'm not cruel," He chuffed a laugh and pointed to the entrance of the Bounty with his staff. "There's water boiling on the stove. Have some tea and relax. We'll start training later tomorrow. Sleep in." Jay opened his mouth to speak and Wu cut him off. "I will inform your brothers and sister."

"C'mon," Cole placed his hand on Jay's back and coaxed his friend forward. Blue allowed himself to be lead by Black, both teens walking down the stairs into the Bounty.


	6. Chapter V

**Chapter V:** Reassurance

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 **A/N:** So this took way longer to post than anticipated. I apologize! I had a portion of this written for weeks, but was so swamped with schoolwork I couldn't find the time to finish it, so it sort of...sat there. I'll aim to get the next chapter out sooner than this. Aim for it. Quite a bit of bruise fluffiness in this chapter...and the starting of greenflame? GASP!

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Kai's amber eyes scanned the street from his rooftop vantage. He was shrouded in the shadows cast by the street lights, crouched on the edge of the Ninjago Museum of History's roof, wearing a stoic expression. He listened to the faint sounds of car engines and horns, and of hundreds of voices all mingling, all blending together with the noises of a bustling city.

"Thanks for the help," Lloyd said as he approached the red ninja, who steadfastly ignored the obvious sarcasm in his leader's voice and kept his eyes down on the street. "Kai?" Green tried again, hopping up onto the ledge, while looking down at his hunched companion.

"Yeah," Kai replied shortly, not bothering to lift his head, training his gaze on a particular car and watching as it pulled up to a stoplight.

"The museum's fine," Lloyd joined Kai and crouched down to his level, "the new curator is really nice." Kai nodded absently. Lloyd's brow furrowed. He studied his friend's sour expression and clicked his tongue. "Y'know what else?" Green ventured, baiting Red, despite the certainty it would fail.

As expected, Kai said nothing, so Lloyd continued.

"While I was in there I saw this sarcophagus," the blonde used his hands to mime the general shape of the ancient casket, "and it was huge. And gold. Had all these jewels all over it too." Kai continued to nod his head, clearly lost in his thoughts and not so much as feigning interest in what the younger of them had to say. "There was also a sign, y'know, one of those informative panels they put in front of the artifacts? Well it said in big bold letters 'do not touch,' so I'm sure you know I most definitely touched it."

The car Kai was so fixated on started to rev its engine as the light flicked to green. The Master of Fire watched with interest as it shot forward and barreled through the intersection, following it on its course until it disappeared from sight.

"I think I'm cursed now—or again," Lloyd smacked the back of his hand to his forehead and swooned overdramatically, "I think it said something about only giving me a few days to live. What should I do?"

"Hm? What?" Kai finally drew his attention from the road and turned his eyes to Lloyd, cocking his notched brow as he took in the vision of Lloyd posed as he was. "You say something?"

Lloyd sighed and righted himself. "No, I didn't."

Kai observed the blonde for a moment and then shrugged his shoulders casually. "Sure thing, green bean, whatever you say." Slapping his hands to his knees, the Master of Fire rose to his feet and stretched his back. "So, we're done for the night?" He started twisting side to side.

"Yeah," Lloyd nodded as he stood, "you want to grab something to eat on the way back?"

Kai reached under his left shoulder guard and fished out his wallet, popping it open and inspecting it thoroughly.

It was obviously quite empty. He'd been shopping earlier for necessities—mostly for his favourite name brand hair gel, which Zane had determined was not on the list of essentials for personal grooming, so he had to pay out of pocket for it—and spent more than anticipated thanks to a particularly tempting sale.

"Uh," he paused and then looked at Lloyd, snapping his wallet shut and grinning lopsidedly, "I'm definitely broke, but we can swing by somewhere if you're hungry."

Lloyd pursed his lips. "I'll get you something," he assured with a wave of his hand, "my treat."

"Like a date?" Kai smirked and watched as blush crept up the blonde's slender throat and quickly spread across his cheeks, making him flush from ear to ear.

"N—No!" Green shot back quickly, jumping off the rooftop onto a second story landing, rubbing at his face in an attempt to rid himself of the warmth there. Kai followed after him, landing silently on the balcony's railing.

"C'mon, Lloyd, if you wanted to take me out you need only ask," Red purred impishly. Lloyd shoved past him, jumping off the balcony, moving across to the portico above the museum's entrance.

"I did not—I'm not, ugh!" He threw his hands up and stomped across the overhang. Kai laughed boisterously as he followed, leaping down to level with Lloyd, following after him as they casually strode across the normally inaccessible area.

" _Lllllloyd_ ," Kai called after his fuming friend, "don't be mad at me, I'm just teasing!" The Master of Fire sped up his walk to reach his ally, slinging an arm around the smaller teen's shoulders, tugging him into a sideways hug. "I will not say no to free food."

The blonde responded by shoving the brunette, not with enough force to knock him away, but with enough to convey his annoyance. "Shut up," he muttered, but Kai simply squeezed him closer and used his free arm to tussle Lloyd's hair.

"Where do you want to go?" Kai asked with a wide grin, his arm still around Lloyd.

"I don't care…," Lloyd replied quickly, then paused and added, "I want something sweet."

"Boba?" the brunette offered. Lloyd mused on it and then nodded.

"Yeah, that sounds good."

"Boba it is," Kai withdrew his arm and spun around Lloyd, backing away and stepping off the edge of the overhang, dropping ten feet to the ground below with ease, moving around to the front walkway. "You coming, Lloyd?"

"Yeah," Green followed his friend's lead and leapt off the portico, landing beside Kai while checking the communicator on his wrist. "I'll let the others know we're going to Sweet Treats."

"Sure," Kai nodded his head, looking around casually while Lloyd made a call to the team.

"Kai and I are done patrol," the blonde spoke into his device, "we're going for boba, any of you care to join us? Have you guys finished up?"

There was a brief pause, some static, and then a response from Zane. "Nya and I have successfully captured the muggers," the nindroid informed. "The arresting officer told us that Cole and Jay were successful in capturing the home invaders."

Lloyd cast Kai a quizzical look, which the brunette returned in kind. "Why did the officer tell you?"

Another short pause followed and then Zane spoke. "She was telling Nya that our brothers had helped them greatly by capturing the men, but that they thought it odd when neither Cole nor Jay remained at the scene. They were gone before the officers there could thank them."

Kai frowned and quickly raised his communicator, tapping the earpiece and raising his wrist to his lips. "Cole? Jay? Where are you guys?" The Master of Fire waited several seconds and then repeated the call. Again, no response, which prompted him to cast worried eyes to Lloyd.

"Zane," Lloyd turned his eyes down to his wrist, "we should head back to the Bounty."

A crackle and then a voice. "What about boba?"

"This is a bit more important," Lloyd replied quickly as he and Kai donned their hoods and sprinted towards the docks.

Back at headquarters Cole rapped his knuckles gently on the slightly ajar door to his shared bedroom. He waited a moment, and when met with silence, he entered slowly.

"Jay?" he ventured in a gentle tone, stepping into the room with a steaming cup of tea in hand, his gaze falling the bundle of blankets that was Jay's form. "I brought some tea."

The Master of Lightning turned slightly, his body near completely covered by his blanket, which he'd slung around his shoulders and bunched up snugly around his neck. He offered his companion a small smile.

"Thanks."

"No problem." Cole walked over to the bed until he was standing in front of the brunette. He offered the cup out to the smaller teen, and Jay extended his arms out from his makeshift cocoon, carefully taking the porcelain cup into his hands.

The cup was warm in a pleasant way. The contents were not simply boiling hot tea, but the creamy coloured appearance of the drink let Jay know that Cole remembered the milk. He raised the cup to his lips and breathed in its calming aroma. The sweetness that tickled his senses assured him that Cole had remembered the sugar too.

"Three spoons of sugar and two seconds of milk poured," the Master of Earth hummed in such a way to imply repetition. In their time together, he had most definitely memorized the way Jay liked his tea. He had heard time and again how the milk cooled the tea so it could be consumed faster, and that the sugar added a saccharine taste that made the normally bitter drink easier to swallow.

Cole plopped himself down unceremoniously, dropping into a seated position beside Jay, causing the teacup to jostle a bit and the contents to slosh. Jay quickly squeezed his hands around the drink and steadied it.

"Cole!" he chided, whipping his head sideways to glare at the taller ninja, while the Master of Earth settled himself comfortably.

"Sorry," Black quickly replied, offering Blue an apologetic look, which the latter reluctantly accepted. "How are you feeling?"

Jay's fingers wrapped around the small vessel in his hands and squeezed. "Okay…" Cole frowned a bit and scooted closer, placing a firm hand on Jay's back, and the Master of Lightning felt the familiar pressure through the thick layer of downy blanket.

"You sure? I mean, you can tell me, if you want," the black-haired teen insisted. Jay turned to face him and offered a small smile.

"I'll be okay, Cole, really," he said it, but he wasn't entirely confident, and the slight quiver in his voice made that apparent to the larger ninja. "I just don't want to think about it anymore…lets talk about something else."

"Sure," Cole relented, moving his hand languidly over Jay's back, the ministrations having a calming affect on the smaller of the two. "What should we talk about instead?" Jay closed his eyes for a moment and relaxed, slumping sideways until his head was resting on Cole's shoulder.

"Anything else…" he murmured tiredly.

"Yeah, okay," Cole's hand moved from his friend's back carefully, his arm wrapping around the smaller teen, hooking around Jay's relaxed shoulders, "whatever you say…" Jay nestled himself comfortably into Cole's side.

"Well," said the Master of Lightning, "converse."

Cole chuckled. "How's the tea, bluebell?" Jay opened his eyes slowly and stared at the drink. He wanted some, but he was also comfortable and didn't want to sit up, so he was at an impasse.

"I'm sure it's good," he replied, "but I'm comfy."

"I went through all the trouble of making you tea, just the way you like, and you ignore it in favour of being comfortable?" Cole razzed, more amused than annoyed.

Jay shrugged as best he could. "I'll drink it, eventually," he assured, extending his hands out and wordlessly asking to have the cup taken from him. Cole, quite accustomed to Jay's mannerisms, took the cup from him and leaned to the side to set it down.

"Such a waste of tea," the Master of Earth hummed, "Wu's not going to be happy with you."

The freckled teen huffed. "I'm going to drink the tea, Cole, calm down." The brunette shoved himself deeper into his friend's side and sighed contently, resting his head fully on Cole's shoulder and chest. "Just…don't stop talking."

"Mmhmm, alright." The black ninja paused and tried to think up a dialogue on the spot. He wasn't much of a conversationalist, and normally Jay did all the talking, so he wasn't entirely sure what to say. "You…happy here?" he asked dumbly, realizing how stupid the question was, and he inwardly chastised himself.

But Jay laughed. "It's fine, I'm happy with it," Blue mercifully answered, "I get to live with my kick butt ninja team." Cole smiled at that. "And my best friend." The Master of Lightning tacked on. Cole felt his cheeks warm a bit and he sheepishly scratched at his scalp.

"Yeah, well," he started, "my best friend's great. I like living with him too, even if he can be _really_ annoying at times."

Blue couldn't help but smile at the good-natured jab. "Oh yeah? I hear your best friend is, like, the coolest dude. He's the Master of Lightning. He's super strong, and skilled, and generally awesome." Cole grinned and happily played along.

"Personally, I think he's a bit of a dork," he said matter-of-factly, "he likes comic books and still sleeps with a stuffie." Jay jabbed his elbow in Cole's direction, although the strike was softened by the thick blanket.

"Comic books are an art form," he retorted, "and is now officially my best friend."

Cole laughed. "Have I been demoted?"

"Yes, you have," Jay answered quickly.

"That's unfortunate," the Master of Earth said with a bit of a grin, "I was really fond of that title."

"I know," Blue said with his own smile, "it was the greatest and most important mantle you've ever carried."

"It certainly was," Cole said, turning his head a bit and pressing his cheek gingerly into Jay's soft curls. Blue closed his eyes again and settled deeper into his friend's embrace. Daringly, Cole turned his head ever so slightly, the bridge of his nose brushing some of the dark chestnut locks of his friend's hair.

"Cole…I just—"

A sudden loud crash, followed by hurried footsteps traveling down the hallway towards them, made both ninja look to the door as it was thrown open.

"Jay—!" Lloyd was the first to shove his way into the room, his wide verdant eyes falling on his brothers, his heaving chest rising and falling rapidly.

"Are you okay?!" Kai yelled as he squeezed his way past Zane and Nya, stumbling into the room and running to the bedside worriedly.

"We heard what happened!" Nya rounded Lloyd and rushed up to her brother's side, placing her hands on either side of Jay's face, looking him over frantically.

"Wu informed us," Zane clarified as he entered and walked to Nya's unoccupied side, laying his hand on Cole's head and looking into his eyes, "are you two alright?" Cole blinked back at Zane's piercing blues and smiled.

"We're fine, guys," he said as he subconsciously pulled Jay closer to his side protectively, "just a bit shaken up. We were _trying_ to calm down."

"We are calm," Kai quipped while shooing his sister away from Jay to look the Master of Lightning over himself. Nya turned her attention to Cole, cupping his angular jawline in the same way, tilting his head side to side as she inspected him.

Lloyd made his way over to them and slipped between the siblings of Fire and Water. "Guys, c'mon, give them some space." Zane immediately stepped back and kept his arms at his sides. Reluctantly, Kai and Nya pulled away and stood off to the side, giving Lloyd the room necessary to subtly survey them.

"We're really glad you're both okay," Green said softly to them, to which Jay smiled a bit and Cole nodded his head, "just let us know if you need anything."

"Thanks, Lloyd," Jay replied softly. The blonde nodded back to him and smiled, standing up and clapping his hand onto Cole's free shoulder, before turning and nodding for the remaining team to follow him out of the room. The trio followed their leader out of the room, closing the door behind them, leaving Cole and Jay alone.

After a minute of silence, Cole craned his head down and looked to Jay. "Ready to sleep?"

Jay nodded. "Yeah…" The Master of Earth moved to retract his arm and stand but was stopped when Blue quickly threw an arm around him and stopped his progress. "Wait—!"

Cole froze.

Jay chewed the inside of his cheek. "I just…can you lay with me here tonight?" Slowly, he relaxed and sat back, his arm moving back around Jay's small form.

"Sure, Jay," he said softly, "anything you need." The Master of Earth moved back and laid himself down, shifting into a comfortable position while Jay occupied the space beside him, keeping his side pressed flush against his friend. Cole pressed his head back into the pillows and sighed happily.

"Can you get the light?"

Jay raised his hand, which was electrified with blue sparks, sending a single bolt towards the bedside lamp and instantly plunging the room into darkness.

"Thanks," Black said to Blue, "even if that can't be good for the light…" In the blackness Cole could feel Jay nestling back into his side.

"It's fine," he yawned and rested his head back down on Cole's shoulder. "Thanks for staying here…"

Cole smiled and turned his head to nuzzle Jay's curls. "Always…"

It didn't take long for both boys to fall into a sound sleep.


	7. Chapter VI

**Chapter VI:** Restful

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 **A/N:** What's this? A new chapter that didn't take 2+ weeks to write and upload? That's insane! Yeah, this one's mostly fluffy cuteness, so I hope you enjoy!

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Kai entered the family room with tray in hand. It was late, well past three in the morning, and the Bounty was relatively quiet. Red knew that both Blue and Black had long since fallen asleep, and he assumed Master Wu was resting as well. The remainder of his makeshift family were occupying the only space with lights on.

"I'm back," Kai said in a hushed tone as he walked across the room to where Lloyd sat. The blonde was seated at the table, hands together atop it and head turned ever so slightly so his eyes could survey the moonlit ocean waters. "Here." The Master of Fire held the tray out and smiled warmly.

"What's this?" Lloyd turned his head to face his companion and then dipped it down to the offering. Inside the tray were four drinks, all lidded with straws already in them. "You went and got boba? It's super late, where'd you manage that?" the blonde asked as he snatched his designated drink, which he knew was his, because it was melon flavoured and therefore green.

Kai smiled roguishly. "All places are open twenty-four seven if you know how to get in." Lloyd opened his mouth to admonish his friend but was stopped by the raise of a hand. "I'm kidding, green bean, calm down. I'm a law-abiding citizen, have been all my life."

"And you now fight on the side of justice," Zane said from his seat a few feet away. He was nestled comfortably into a large armchair, his favourite for the simple fact it overlooked the rest of the room and he could observe all his family members at once.

"Yeah, and that," Kai laughed as he walked over and offered the tray to Zane next, with the nindroid taking his own drink – vanilla flavoured – graciously with a smile.

"Thank you," he said sweetly. Kai nodded to his robotic brother.

"Of course, I figured you'd still be awake by the time I got back," the brunette turned to regard his younger sister, who was sleeping curled up on the sofa. "I got two out of three."

"She wanted to wait up for you," Zane informed Kai as he set his book down in favour of his drink, "but she barely managed to keep her eyes open for five minutes after you left."

Kai chuckled as he set the tray down on the coffee table, prying his own drink free and walking to Nya, delicately running the fingers of his free hand through her silken ebony hair. "She's always had a better sleep schedule than me," he said as he smiled down at her fondly, "better internal clock. And she's more responsible."

From the table by the window Lloyd popped the straw from his mouth. "I thought you were broke," he said casually. Kai raised his shoulders and shrugged a bit.

"I stash money in a secret place, for emergencies, y'know?" He sauntered over to the table and pulled a chair out, plopping unceremoniously onto it and kicking his feet up onto the opposite chair.

"And this was an emergency," Lloyd clarified. Kai once again shrugged.

"We were all on edge, cold air and night walks are my thing," he pointed his drink in Lloyd's direction, "and sugar's yours. Nya's too, surprisingly." The blonde quirked a brow.

"And Zane?"

"He's logical, he probably reasoned his way through the whole ordeal," the Master of Fire elucidated, "but I didn't want him feeling left out so," he shook his drink to emphasize his point.

"I do appreciate the thought, Kai," Zane smiled from his chair as he sipped contently on his beverage.

"Anytime, Zane."

Lloyd set his drink down and turned his eyes out the window once more. Kai took notice and tapped his index finger on the table. "So," he started, "you doing okay?" The blonde pulled his verdant gaze from the waters and turned them to Kai.

"I'm…overthinking things," he admitted, "it's nothing."

"Try me," Kai challenged while leaning back in his seat, "I have a little sister, and she's Nya…so I know all about overthinking."

The ninja inhaled deeply through his nose and then sighed calmingly. "It's just…we battle so many different kinds of opponents, and they all have unique powers and weapons, that sometimes I just…forget about guns. It's weird." Lloyd's hands came together and he absently stroked the knuckles of his left hand with his right index finger. "When Master Wu said someone pointed a gun at Jay…I just…" There was a small quiver in the blonde's voice and Kai immediately reached out to place a firm hand on Lloyd's own, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"I know," the brunette said evenly, "I can't imagine losing…losing any of you."

"We're family," Lloyd said as he sniffled a bit, trying to hide it from Kai, "you guys are all I have."

"You will not lose us," Kai said as he gave Lloyd's hand another squeeze. "No one's going anywhere. Not without my permission, anyway."

From his seat Zane observed. He did not want to interrupt their emotional exchange, feeling he might not offer the most tactful response, so instead he focused on the key concerns. He may not be the best at comforting his loved ones, but he knew he could help in other ways, and he was determined to do whatever it took to ensure his family was safe and happy.

"We'll be okay, Lloyd," Kai said with a lopsided smile, "I'll make sure of it."

Lloyd offered a dejected smile in return, forcing himself to appear pacified, but it didn't reach his eyes and the Master of Fire could tell. He decided not to push the matter further and instead allowed Lloyd time to contemplate his words.

"Thanks Kai," Lloyd replied softly as he withdrew his hand, grabbed his drink and stood. "I think I'm going to try and get some sleep."

Kai nodded to him, "Good idea." He dropped his gaze to the half-finished drink in the blonde's hand and hummed, "don't let that sit out too long." Lloyd scoffed as he walked past.

"I'm going to finish it before I go to sleep." At the doorway the Green Ninja paused and looked back over his shoulder. "Thanks…again. For the drink and the pep talk." Kai raised his hand and waved it.

"Any time," he said coolly, "you know I'd do anything for you guys." Lloyd smiled genuinely and nodded his head before slipping out of the lit room and into the darkened hallway. The Master of Fire sat in pleasant silence for a few more minutes, finishing his drink and then stood, tossing the empty plastic cup into a bin.

"Are you going to sleep now too?" Zane raised his eyes from his book and watched as Kai strode across the room to the sitting area.

"Probably, maybe, I don't know," the brunette admitted, dipping down and carefully scooping Nya up into his arms, easily managing her weight while turning on his heels, "Nya should sleep in her bed though." Zane nodded a bit. "What about you?"

The nindroid blinked at him. "I may power down shortly." Kai smiled a bit.

"You can just call it resting, Zane," he chuckled, "even you need that."

The silvery teen cocked his head to the side quizzically. "Nindroid do not need to sleep."

"Yeah, well," Kai rounded the sofa as he walked towards the door, "you're not just some nindroid. You're Zane."

Zane felt something buzz internally; perhaps, he thought for a moment, something in his circuitry was going haywire, but he offered his brother a wide smile nevertheless. "Goodnight, Kai."

"Goodnight Zane." Kai replied softly as he slipped into the hallway. The nindroid sat for a moment, turning his faintly glowing eyes to his book and closing it. It was time for him to get some much-needed rest.

Kai carried his sleeping sister towards her bedroom, doing his best to step silently while he held her, taking little time to reach her door. He turned sideways and used his hand to turn the knob, pushing the door open carefully before stepping inside.

The room was dark, and with no backlight from the hallway, Kai did his best to feel his way through the room. He inched across the floor, mindful of his movements, until his shin touched a hard surface. Kicking it lightly, the Master of Fire determined it to be Nya's bed, and he moved to set her down gently atop it. He placed his younger sister down with a level of delicacy uncharacteristic of the brunette, making sure to gingerly set her head atop her pillows, all while avoiding startling her awake.

"There we go," he said softly as he carefully lifted his hands away, "goodnight Nya." Kai smiled as he turned and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him before walking down towards his own bedroom.

He reached his door and found it slightly ajar; he could hear the sound of soft snoring coming from within. Pushing the door open he stepped inside, finding the room lit by the moonlight spilling in through the window, which made it possible to make out a sleeping Lloyd. Kai entered soundlessly, walking across the floor to pick the now empty boba cup off the blonde's bedside table, tossing it away in a nearby bin.

"Couldn't even throw it out yourself, huh green bean?" The brunette smirked as he cast his eyes down to his sleeping friend. Lloyd was on his side, slightly curled in on himself, and only half covered by a blanket he'd clearly been too lazy to lift up fully. Shaking his head, the Master of Fire grabbed the edge of the blanket and pulled it up to Lloyd's shoulder, then turned and flopped unceremoniously onto his own bed. With a soft groan, he shifted until he was comfortable and soon succumbed to exhaustion.

One room over Jay was shifting fitfully in his sleep, suddenly jarring himself awake and looking around the room fretfully. A few wild sparks shot off the freckled teen, none of which seemed to so much as stir the other occupant in the bed, while Jay slowly relaxed and calmed down with a tried and true breathing technique.

His eyes adjusted quickly to the darkness of the room and he soon realized he'd plastered himself against Cole's side with his head resting on his friend's shoulder. As soon as he took notice of this he bit back his urge to shout in surprise, opting instead to scoot away from Cole, but found he couldn't get far as the Master of Earth had hooked an arm around him and had his hand against Jay's back.

"Great," Jay muttered softly, resting his head back down on Cole's bicep, looking at his friend's peaceful sleeping face. "You're being creepy, Jay," he admonished softly but continued to stare despite himself.

Cole's lips were parted ever so slightly, and as he breathed out his breaths caused a few strands of his bangs to bounce lightly, which amused the Master of Lightning to no end.

"You're a boulder brain," Jay yawned tiredly and nestled back down against Cole, "but you're a good friend." The brunette allowed his eyes to flutter closed. It was then that the black-haired teen shifted.

"Y'say something, Jay?" he murmured sluggishly. "Y'need something?" Jay opened his eyes and looked to his friend.

"Nah, I'm good," he answered in a hushed tone. "I wake you?" Cole shook his head.

"No," he replied, his voice just above a whisper, "not really. I did hear you say something, but I think I woke myself up."

"Sorry either way," Jay said quickly. Cole shook his head again and waved his friend's concerns off with the arm that wasn't currently wrapped around the smaller ninja.

"It's fine," he assured tiredly, "y'comfy? I can move back to my own bed if you want." Without thinking Jay shifted closer and placed a hand on Cole's stomach, patting it absently.

"Nah, I'm fine."

"Y'sure? I know I take up a lot of room," Cole said honestly.

"Not so much that I'd kick you out," Jay answered confidently, "besides, I do feel better having you here." Blue quickly flushed and then stammered. "I-I-I mean, y'know, 'cause you're weirdly comfy for someone so hard." He slapped his hand against Cole's abdomen with a bit more force than intended and uttered an awkward laugh. "Not, I mean, that it's a bad thing. It's just weird that you can be built like a mountain and still be weirdly cuddly…not cuddly, comfortable…, or, uh—"

"Jay, calm down," Cole laughed a bit, "I get what you're saying. Chill out." Jay's mouth shut instantly and he couldn't help but chuckle a bit at himself. "Besides, you're the one who called me a teddy bear, remember?"

"I did, yeah," Jay relented and stifled a yawn. He was exhausted, but at the same time, he couldn't keep from conversing with his friend.

"Hmm, so I guess you can be built like a mountain and still be _cuddly_ ," Cole teased playfully with his word choice.

"Shut up," Jay quipped as he withdrew his hand from Cole's stomach – much to Cole's dismay – and brought it to his face to cover a yawn as it escaped his lips, "I'm tired. We should sleep."

"Yeah, that sounds reasonable," the Master of Earth hummed agreeingly, "which is surprising since you suggested it."

"You're not being a very good best friend right now," Blue said wearily to Black, fighting to keep his eyes opened as he forced a scowl, "do a better job, boulder brain."

"You're not very nice yourself, motor mouth," Cole retorted easily, "I'm the one being a pillow for your puny head."

"My head's not small, yours is just huge, so you have an inaccurate reference for size," Jay said matter-of-factly. Cole snorted and then laughed.

"Okay, good one," he relented, using the arm hooked around Jay's body to pull him closer, drawing the Master of Lightning more firmly into his hardened side. "Sleep now, yeah?" Jay settled comfortably into Cole's embrace and allowed himself to relax, succumbing to fatigue brought on by the day's enervating events.

"Yeah, sleep now," he muttered so softly that his voice was just above a whisper. It didn't take long for Jay to fall back into a much more restful sleep, while Cole laid awake a little longer, staring up at the ceiling.

His brain was buzzing now, and despite how exhausted his body was, his mind was running a mile a minute. Subconsciously, he drew Jay closer to his side, turning his head slightly to look down at Jay's sleeping form. He smiled to himself and then slowly closed his own eyes.

"Stop staring at him Cole, you're being creepy," he said scoldingly to himself shortly before surrendering to unconsciousness.


	8. Chapter VII

**Chapter VII:** Fun In The Sun

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 **A/N:** Seven chapters in and the beginnings of an actual plot rears its head at the end. Wonder where this is going...

Also want to extend my thanks to all the wonderful reviews that have been left on this story so far, and especially to Cerenda, because your comments are always so insightful and generous! Reviews really let me know if you guys are enjoying the story...and, if I'm honest, they're excellent motivators. I'd be lying if I said I didn't frequently check to see if there are any new ones.

Well, until next time!

* * *

Jay awoke slowly at first, his eyes fluttering open languidly as he shifted and pawed blearily, patting Cole's sleeping form with his searching hand. The brunette tried to focus, allowing consciousness to come on steadily, until a sudden lurch of the entire room forced him completely awake.

"Holy crap!" he swore, clutching onto Cole as the room swayed, tightening his hold on his slumbering friend. Quickly, the Master of Lightning whipped his head up and looked out the window, seeing nothing but clear morning skies and a subtle stream of grey smoke.

They were airborne, he deduced, and his racing heart soon calmed.

" _Hnn_ ," Cole murmured as he came to, blinking his eyes open and then yawning widely, smacking his lips and scratching at his chest, "morning already?"

Jay turned his head back to his friend and nodded, "Yeah, time to get up."

"Too bad," Cole stifled another yawn with his hand, "I'm comfy." The Master of Earth craned his head to look out their bedroom widow. "Are we in the air?"

"Yeah," Jay said as he reluctantly pulled away from Cole and slid off the bed, stepping down onto the floor and padding across the room to his dresser.

"Why?" Brown eyes searched Jay's back for answers while Cole propped himself up on his elbows. In response Jay shrugged his shoulders.

"Not sure," he said honestly while opening a drawer, "guess we're heading somewhere…maybe a new mission?" His hand dove into the open drawer and he fished around for some fresh day clothes.

Cole hummed contemplatively. "Already? I thought Sensei said we could have a break," he mused aloud.

"From training," Jay corrected, "but being heroes doesn't give us much of a break." The Master of Lightning tugged free a fresh pair of black pants and a blue tank, slinging them both over his left forearm. "I'm going to shower."

He hurriedly made his way to the door and then paused, inhaling deeply and breathing out a calming breath, turning slightly to chance a look back at Cole. "Uh, thanks…y'know, for last night. And for being…there for me." Jay flushed a bit, feeling red hot blood rush up his slender throat to his cheeks and quickly whirled back around, throwing the door open and rushing out, slamming it closed behind him.

"Uh…yeah," Cole said softly to the now empty room, moving to throw his legs over the side of the bed, standing upright and straightening up the blankets and pillows.

Moving across the room, Cole ambled his way to his own dresser, his gait still showing signs of his tiredness. Lazily, he pulled open his second drawer and began rifling through it, tugging out a pair of simple black track pants and one of his standard sleeveless tops, throwing both over his shoulder while shoving the drawer closed.

With another loud yawn he moved back towards his own bed, tossing the clean clothing haphazardly onto his mattress while reaching down to undo the sash on his bottoms. With all that had transpired yesterday, neither he nor Jay had managed to change clothes fully, and instead just shed their gear and gi tops in favour of sleeping in their pants and undershirts.

Similarly, and now down the hall, Jay was making quick work of undressing himself. He grimaced at the feel of his dirtied clothes as he peeled them off his body, throwing them into the shared hamper while stepping up to the sink. He placed his hands down at either side of the counter and leaned forward, eyeing himself in the mirror, scrutinizing his own face.

His sharp azure eyes stared back at him with intensity, pupils darting around as he analyzed every feature of his face, going so far as to count the dusting of freckles that adorned the ridge of his nose and cheekbones. Finding nothing new, he drew back his attention and turned to the tub, reaching in to turn the knob and start the showerhead.

He waited for the water to warm up enough to be tolerable before stepping in. As soon as the rush of hot water washed over his skin he shuddered and quickly righted himself, facing his back to the showerhead and eyeing the rack of bodywashes, shampoos and conditioners.

Despite Zane's assertion that purchasing a single bottle of each would satisfy the needs of the crew and be the most cost effective, each member was steadfast in their desire to have their favourite brand and scent at their disposal, and thus a five-shelf rack was installed in the shower to house the ridiculous number of plastic containers.

Jay slid his fingers over the various bottles, reading labels despite knowing his own assortment were found on the bottom shelf, as he smiled to himself. The rack, having been Nya's idea, meant her bottles sat on the first shelf. Unlike the rest of them, her choices had subtle aromas that she'd once confided in Jay reminded her of her mother. She told him that she struggled to find ways to connect to her parents, having been so young when they disappeared, and not having clear memories of them like her older brother held. Jay told her he thought that was sweet and that the delicate scent of orange blossoms suited her.

Next on the second shelf were Kai's essentials. He had the most containers of all the ninja, boasting a wide variety of hair products, and more than a few body washes. His go to scent was cinnamon - he liked anything that was strong but pleasant, and anything he knew would be an enticing smell.

Lloyd's were next on the third shelf. He made use of a two-in-one shampoo and conditioner. He felt it saved time, and he preferred the convenience of it. His body wash was the same brand as Kai's – seeing as the Master of Fire made a personal recommendation when he learned that Lloyd just scrubbed and rinsed – but the blonde opted for a sugary scented variant. He liked the sweet smell on his skin.

Cole was on the fourth shelf, sporting a bottle of shampoo and conditioner catering to thicker hair, and a fruity smelling body wash that he said reminded him of desserts. He usually went for a melon scent but wasn't against strawberry.

Finally, Jay's hand grazed his own bottles on the last shelf, wrapping his fingers around the neck of his shampoo. His scent of choice was lavender. Largely because it masked the scent of oil and dirt, which were both often found on the Master of Lightning, but also because it was a calming aroma to his anxious nerves.

Squirting a generous glob into his palm, Jay set the bottle back down and proceeded to dig both hands into his curls, raking his fingers through the curly locks and lathering them until sudsy. Then, tilting back, he rinsed the foam from his hair and shook his wetted strands clear of any soapy froth.

Instinctively, his hand moved for his bodywash, but then he paused. His sharp blue gaze flicked to the conditioner and he gnawed at his lower lip. He'd only purchased it because Cole insisted it would help with frizz. The humidity did a number on his natural curls, puffing them into a mess of frizzy tufts and tangles, and when Cole had moved to tussle his hair he'd accidentally yanked on some of the knots that had formed.

He felt horrible when Jay yelped reflexively at the sudden painful tug.

And, of course, Jay would do anything to keep Cole from feeling horrible.

So, a massive glob of the white goo was squirted onto his palm and he repeated the process of lathering his brunette curls. Once satisfied he'd done all that was needed, he proceeded to thoroughly cleanse himself with his body wash and rinse clean.

As he turned the tap and shut the shower off a knock sounded on the bathroom door. Jay poked his head out of the shower and eyed the wooden barrier.

"Occupied, although, uh," he shifted and stepped out of the tub, snatching a towel out of the small closet to wrap snugly around himself, "I'm almost done!"

"It's okay," he heard Lloyd say from the other side of the door, "I don't need the bathroom. I just wanted to let you know what's going on."

Jay stepped around while drying himself, moving back to where he'd set his clean clothes on the counter. "Yeah?"

"Master Wu decided to give us the day off," the blonde explained, "said we could use some time to bond. We're flying to Serpent's Tail." Jay bobbed his head in understanding, recognizing the name of an all too familiar lake, one which the team had spent time at before. It was a beautiful and peaceful place, protected by the dense woods which completely surrounded it, making it much easier to access from above.

"So, we're going swimming?" Jay ventured.

"Probably, yeah," Lloyd replied. The Master of Lightning pursed his lips and then looked at himself in the mirror.

"Really wish you would have told me that before I showered," he bemoaned, "now I'm going to have to again…and it's going to be a fight to get it."

On the other side of the door Lloyd grinned mischievously. "You could always just share the shower with someone else?" The suggestion immediately made Jay short-circuit. His entire face flushed a deep and brilliant shade of crimson and he shook his head rapidly.

"Not funny, Lloyd!" he shouted back, hearing the sound of footfalls as the blonde ran from the doorway, laughing like a madman down the hall.

Muttering unintelligibly under his breath, the Master of Lightning made quick work of dressing himself, throwing open the bathroom door and stomping down the hall towards his bedroom. He opened the door and walked in, passing Cole on his way to his dresser, reaching it and opening the drawer again.

"Apparently," he started, "we're going swimming."

Cole blinked at his friend. "All of us?"

Jay tugged his trunks from the drawer and shoved it closed roughly. "Yeah."

The Master of Earth nodded a bit. "So, where are we headed?"

"Serpent's Tail," Blue replied while turning on his heels to face his friend, "Lloyd told me Master Wu said we could have a _bonding day_."

"A bonding day," Black parroted while quirking a single bushy brow, "why are we bonding?"

Jay raised his shoulders in a casual shrug. "Not entirely sure," he admitted, "but I guess it's his way of giving us a break."

A broad smile spread across Cole's face. "That's fine by me," he strode up to Jay and patted his large hand on the brunette's shoulder, "let me get my trunks and then we'll head up top to see how far we are." Jay smiled a bit and tried not to crumple under the weight of his companion's heavy hand.

"Yeah, sure thing," he nodded his head. Cole withdrew his hand and walked towards his own dresser, wasting no time retrieving his own swimwear, slinging it over his shoulder and turning back to Jay.

"Do we need anything else?" he asked.

Jay shook his head, "I don't think so." Cole seemed to realize something, dropping a clenched fist into his open palm, while looking to Jay with an even expression.

"Sunscreen," he said plainly. Jay paused.

"Sunscreen?"

"Yeah," Cole nodded as he stepped up to Jay, prodding the center of the Master of Lightning's chest with his extended index finger, "for your _delicate skin_." A playful smirk tugged at the corner of Cole's lips, threatening to pull his mouth into a full-fledged grin as he cooed teasingly.

It took Jay a moment, but he quickly processed the statement, and puffed his cheeks irritably in response. "That was one time," he slapped Cole's hand away and jabbed a finger into his friend's face, "and the sunburn wasn't _that_ bad."

Cole danced around his friend, stepping out of the line of fire of that accusatory point, now fully beaming. "You were as red as a tomato," he laughed, ducking as Jay swung an arm in his direction, "and I had to rub aloe on you!"

"You didn't have to do that, you dirt pile," Blue shouted as he swung in Cole's direction again, "you insisted!"

"And you accepted," Black retorted coolly while turning and avoiding the jabs being thrown at him.

"Someone had to!" Jay shot back ineffectively. Cole snorted and laughed.

"The best part was how you actually shed, like a Serpentine," the Master of Earth caught Jay's fist and stuck his tongue out at his smaller friend, "so, sunscreen, for your _delicate freckled skin_."

"You're lucky I actually want to swim," Jay hissed at him lowly, but made no move to withdraw his hand.

"And you're lucky I care enough to make sure you don't turn red again," Cole released Jay's hand and hummed as he walked past, "it's not your colour."

Jay glowered and turned, following Cole out of their room and through the hall towards the entryway that lead onto the deck of the ship. As they stepped out into the open they both felt a rush of midmorning air brush past them. Cole inhaled deeply, enjoying the summery scent carried on the wind, while Jay fought to keep his untamed curls out of his line of sight.

"Good morning kids," Kai grinned as he slid down from the crow's nest, "glad to see you two are up." The Master of Fire sauntered forward with confidence, aiming a friendly punch into Cole's chest, earning a grin from the taller ninja.

"I'm surprised you beat us out here," Cole quipped as he hooked an arm around Kai's shoulders and tugged his fellow clanmate into his chest, "what with your daily beauty routine." As if to add insult to injury, the Master of Earth dug his fingers into Kai's perfectly styled hair, raking his digits through the gelled strands.

"Woah, hey—!" The brunette kicked his legs wildly and squirmed until he broke free, stumbling back onto his feet. "Hands off the merchandise!" His hands shot up to his hair in an attempt to survey the damage. "You might be allowed to manhandle Jay like that, but I'm hands off, especially the hair."

"Nobody manhandles me, hothead," Jay was quick to retort. Kai smirked lopsidedly.

"Whatever you say, sparkplug." Satisfied he'd avoided a disastrous hair assault, he straightened up and continued, "But we're probably five minutes from the lake."

Cole's brow shot up. "You're going swimming?"

"Absolutely not," Kai scoffed incredulously, "but sunbathing is definitely my scene." He walked over and patted Jay's cheek condescendingly. "I don't have delicate baby skin."

Jay slapped Kai's hand away near instantaneously. "No, but you have a baby brain," he spat venomously.

"Good morning brothers," came Zane's soft greeting as he walked through the entryway and onto the deck, sporting his casualwear.

"Morning Zane," Cole turned and then smiled at the nindroid's modest attire, a pair of tan shorts and a white button up shirt, neatly pressed and crease free.

"Good morning," Jay said as he shoved Kai.

"Nice duds, Zane," Kai said as he stumbled back from the slightly less than playful shove.

"You are dressed nicely as well, Kai," Zane smiled sweetly despite the fact black shorts and red muscle shirts were not his style.

"It's cute that you all compliment one another," Nya said as she stepped up beside the others, adjusting the sunglasses on the bridge of her nose with one hand and brushing back some strands of hair that hung from her loose ponytail with the other. "It's really sweet."

"Aww, are you feeling left out sis?" Kai cooed, pushing his way past Cole and Jay to sling an arm around his sibling's shoulders.

"Hardly," she dismissed placidly, "I don't need your compliments." She sniffed and pointed her nose up smugly. Kai jut his lower lip out in a feigned pout while leaning his weight into her.

"That's hurtful, Nya," he said exaggeratedly, "you should be nicer to your brother."

"There's really no reason to be nice to you," Lloyd cut in as he squeezed his way between the siblings and shoved his weight into Kai, "you're full of hot air."

"Says the one full of teenage angst," Kai was quick to counter, throwing an arm around Lloyd's shoulders, pulling him in close so he could tussle the blonde's hair.

"Get off," Lloyd laughed as he pushed back against the brunette's hold, "you're too warm!"

"Are you calling me hot, green bean?" the Master of Fire purred impishly.

"Hardly!" Lloyd bit back as he managed to wriggle out of Kai's grip, stumbling a bit before ducking around behind Zane.

"If you guys are done," Nya said while looking over the rail of the ship, "we're about to land."

The Bounty's thrusters groaned as they started to turn, pointing downwards to ease the vessel's descent, softening the landing as the massive ship touched down on lightly scorched earth. For a moment the hulking craft teetered on the uneven surface beneath it's curved body, but soon settled as the levelers were deployed. In a matter of seconds, the Bounty was secured and fixed, the engine powering down with a low hum, allowing the sounds of the surrounding forest to once again overtake.

"Nice," Kai leapt over the railing and landed down in the grass with ease, slinging a towel casually over his shoulder and striding towards a rocky overhang that sat several feet above the lake. It took the Master of Fire no time to throw down the towel, adorn in sun glasses, remove his shirt and lay stomach down to enjoy the warmth of the sun.

Zane soon followed, walking up onto the rocky overhang to seat himself a few feet from Kai, book in hand. "Do you mind if I sit here?"

"Go right ahead," Kai answered lazily.

Nya, Cole, Jay and Lloyd all made their way to the small amount of sandy shore encircling the lake, with Nya setting a towel down for herself, Cole and Jay tossing their towels aside haphazardly so they could slink off to change into their swimwear, and Lloyd charging straight into the water with an echoing splash.

Kai lifted his head slightly, pillowing his chin on his folded forearms, while watching Lloyd wading through the water. "Don't drown!" He called out.

"I'm an amazing swimmer!" Lloyd shot back confidently. Kai simply chuckled and closed his eyes, basking in the heat on his skin.

Nya rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. "Master of Water over here, I think I'm probably the best swimmer," she turned her head and looked up to where her brother had situated himself, "and no one's drowning on my watch!"

"Especially not if we don't actually get in the water," Cole said as he walked back towards the water's edge. "How's the water Lloyd?"

The blonde perked up at his name and looked towards the shore. "Great!"

"Perfect," Cole crept over to Jay as the brunette finished applying a generous coat of waterproof sunscreen to his arms, scooping his unsuspecting friend into his arms with a loud laugh, and carrying him towards the water, "lets go, Jay!"

"Cole, ah—!" Jay flailed wildly while Cole held tightly onto him. "I-Is the water cold!? I didn't check the temperature!"

The dark-haired ninja snorted a laugh as he walked straight into the water. "It's fine, Jay," he deadpanned, "in fact, let me show you…"

Instantly, Jay stopped struggling in favour of latching on hard to his friend, knowing what was to come next. "Don't you dare…" he growled lowly. Cole simply bat his eyes and then promptly tossed Jay a few feet into the water with a resounding splash.

The Master of Lightning flailed in the water until he righted himself, standing upright now dripping wet, his chest heaving slightly as he stood waist deep in the water. Cole hugged his sides and laughed boisterously.

That was, until he was swiftly knocked over as Jay threw his whole weight into a tackle, toppling them both over and plunging their bodies into the water. Nya raised her head slightly and sighed.

"Play nice, boys," she said offhandedly. Her suggestion was promptly ignored.

From within the Bounty, Wu watched as his pupils relaxed, a cup of steaming tea in hand. "I am glad they're enjoying themselves," he said to himself softly, raising his cup to his lips and sipping. Before him, unfurled on the table, were several ancient and weathered scrolls. Each scroll was ornately hand written in ancient text, but the greying master understood them clearly, despite his lack of enthusiasm for what they said.

Tiredly, he placed a hand on one of the scrolls, feeling the battered material beneath his fingers. "I've put this off long enough," he insisted, trying to convince himself, despite his slate gaze continuously being drawn back to the hollering and laughter filtering through the window from outside.

He knew it needed to be done and he only hoped he would have the strength to do what was necessary when the time came.


End file.
